Leslie Baker, CM

For the past twenty years Leslie Baker has been working on large scale oils which have transitioned through the years from representational subjects to more abstract imagery based on color theory. "What moves me when I am painting is what one color does to another. Color is the subject and the interaction of colors is the energy and focus of these pieces. It's exciting how the same color can both invigorate and subdue, creating different spatial effects depending on the color placed near it. Rothko was a reference for me in these new paintings. I want the viewer to be invited in. I want to pull you into the quiet". Baker often uses monotype as a sketch medium from which she works out ideas for these larger works, She has been a teacher for many years and holds a Master degree from Tyler School of Art of Temple University in Philadelphia. In addition, she is the author of a textbook for art teachers and has written and/or illustrated fifteen books for children. Her painterly illustrations earned her numerous awards including the Children's Book Award and selection as US nominee for the international Ezra Jack Keats Award. Her work has appeared in book collections and the Society of Illustrators in New York. She is also a portrait artist with over 30 years of commissions, most recently of Dr. Steven Atwood for the Atwood Library at the University of Pennsylvania and is a member of the Copley Society's Portrait Registry.