Our interview series continues this week with artist, Marcy Baker. Enjoy the Q & A along with a selection of Marcy’s work.
Where are you located?
I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon for 16 years.
How do you think your upbringing played a role in developing your creative point of view?
I grew up in a small town in the Finger Lakes region of central New York State. The intimate landscape and warm, earthy color palette of those surroundings certainly played a role in shaping my aesthetic sensibility.
When did you become serious about your work?
Shortly after moving to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1991 I was introduced to monotype printmaking and knew I’d found my creative focus. It was an ideal starting point, and Santa Fe was a vibrant environment for a young artist. While in New Mexico my work progressed from printmaking to include mixed media collage, and not long before moving to Oregon I began painting in acrylic.
For those of us who are uninitiated, will you please provide a brief explanation of monotyping?
A monotype is a single print created by applying ink to a smooth plate surface and transferring the image to paper with a press. I’ve taught the process for twelve years; it’s rewarding to teach because it is both experimental and accessible, and the results are fairly immediate.
What are you working on right now?
I am continuing with a series of paintings inspired by trees in my southeast Portland neighborhood, particularly the structure of trees as they lose their leaves.
What kind of creative patterns, routines or rituals do you have?
A favorite ritual is walking through the neighborhood collecting leaves and pods and bringing them back to the studio for inspiration.
What work do you most enjoying doing?
I most enjoy being able to move back and forth between painting and printmaking and allowing the conversation between those processes to feed my technique.
What most often inspires your creativity?
It would have to be the change of seasons — I love the Pacific Northwest for such distinct and refreshing changes. I enjoy them all, though autumn has been my favorite season since childhood in New York.
What is your creative process?
My process begins with observing seasonal changes in my surroundings, including color palette and cycles of decay and renewal. I mentioned gathering pods and leaves — these are inspiration for the drawings that are used to create stencils, printing blocks and relief plates, which are the tools I use to build layers of paint and ink. I create collage papers through hand printing and acrylic glazing techniques, as well as utilizing repurposed papers such as sewing patterns, sheet music and maps. For me, collage is a process of uncovering unexpected relationships and exploring tension through play with pattern, line and color. I tend to work in series because I like how the dialog that develops between the pieces keeps my process moving forward.
What do you believe is a key element in creating a good composition?
Balance is definitely an important one. Balance between areas of movement and areas for the eye to rest, balance between control and unpredictability.
Are you experimenting with anything new at the moment?
Recently, I’ve wanted to work larger with monotype than my press will accommodate. So, I started printing directly on large sheets of paper, rather than creating the image on a plate and transferring to paper with the press. This has been freeing because there is little risk, and as a result I tend to push the colors and layering to see what happens. The hand printed papers are adhered to wood panel and additional collage elements are added.
What are you trying to communicate with your work?
I hope to convey a sense of how I feel about my surroundings, ideally with an emotional response from the viewer.
What role do you believe art plays in society?
Art is a place of entry; a way to begin a conversation.
How has the internet influenced the way you market yourself?
The internet has put me in control of marketing my own work, and of course with that comes the responsibility of getting it done. I appreciate marketing as another creative outlet. I think of my website as an online portfolio and enjoy being in control of how my artwork is presented. When searching for a template, I knew right away when I saw Minimal that it was what I’d been looking for — the clean presentation reflects something integral to my work. I also have a Facebook studio page and that’s been an effective tool for spreading the word about workshops and exhibitions, as well as for gathering feedback on new work.
How did you decide how to price your work/services?
I was fortunate to have access to marketing workshops in Santa Fe once I was ready to sell my artwork. I was taught to keep my pricing consistent with artists working in a similar style, showing at similar venues and at the same place in their career. I use a formula based on size for a starting point and then do my research to confirm I’m in line with other artists’ pricing.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given as it relates to your work?
My early monotypes tended to be repeat pattern oriented, very colorful and without much contrast or variation in scale. At some point an acquaintance casually suggested I might tear the elements apart and rearrange them, and her advice planted a seed.
Do you have any upcoming shows or workshops?
Next summer I will offer a watercolor monotype workshop at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology on the Oregon coast. The process feels familiar in that it’s monotype, and unfamiliar in that I have always used oil based ink in my own printmaking. I’ve been experimenting with watercolor and am struck by how working with new materials can lead us to explore imagery in new ways. I’m excited about the possibilities.
To see more of Marcy’s work or follow her latest, visit her website or connect on social media:
