JOSHUA BAIRD

Abstract Landscapes 2011 at the Village Artspace

Thanks for coming out to the show.  If you weren't able to make it; the watercolors will be at the Village at Best Friends Animal Society for 6 weeks.  Or you can look at many of them here on the website. 

Below is the artist statement for the show:

I grew up in Utah where the Rocky Mountains, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau intersect forming some of Earth's most sublime landscapes.  Though you can move away from such a place, you can never part with it.

My love of the Inter-Mountain West--its mystery and beauty, its expansive arid vistas and curious geologic formations--are the inspiration behind my artwork.  Sometimes I paint it representationally, but as of late I am drawn to interpreting the landscape on a more abstract and universal level.

To abstract means to "separate" or "draw away from".  I leave out specific locations and land formations, but maintain the sensory elements of nature: ambient light, texture, immensity of space, atmosphere, and temperature.  By doing so I hope to connect with the viewer on a more intuitive level.  I want each painting to be a window into the viewer's own experience of the land.

 

Thoughts on Artistic Style

People have asked why I go back and forth between the representational and the abstract.  Many think I should focus on one particular style, be more consistent, develop my own unique niche in the art market, etc.  I always appreciate when people offer comments and suggestions.  But the idea of creating a plan for the future style of my art career makes me claustrophobic.

I'd like to offer a different perspective on "style": Consider the careers and work of some of the most important painters in the last century: Georgia O'Keeffe, Richard Deibenkorn, Willem De Kooning, Wassily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Maynard Dixon, Claude Monet, Alexander Calder, Piet Mondrian, and Robert Motherwell.  There are many others, but these artists are great examples of individuals whose work evolved dramatically over time.  In their minds, consistency was another word for creative stagnation.  These artists are important because of their unceasing pursuit of a creative vision.  They valued artistic freedom over commercial success.  Can you imagine if Vincent VanGoh painted sunflowers his whole life?  Or if Claude Monet never got past his charicatures?  Granted, in retrospect, these artists had common threads unifying most if not all of their artistic labors.  But those threads of "style"were never contrived; nor were they planned.  They were never based on a specific motif or brush stroke.  Their "style" was always a natural consequence of their artistic journey, of being true to themselves and living in the moment; like the tracks of a coyote zigzagging around patches of sage and juniper.  Style should never be the trail that you follow, but the tracks you leave behind.

5th Anniversary

Greetings Earthlings!  I just realized it's been 5 years since I started this web-galler/website/blog.  Tomorrow will be exactly 5 years since I wrote my first post.  It's also about time I upload some paintings.  I just finished a series of about 50 small abstract landscapes.  I'll post some of the highlights soon.

Dave Ericson Fine Art Group Show

I have a few shows going on during the month of December.  If you have some extra time, and your in the area; please stop by:

"Utah Artist Group Show", Dave Ericson Fine Art in Salt Lake City, UT until December 25th.

"Art for Animals", Dixie State College Art Gallery, St. George, UT until January 14th.

"Holiday Art Sale", The Best Friends Animal Sanctuary Village, Kanab, UT until January 3rd.

Happy Holidays!

Josh

Recent Paintings from Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

SALT LAKE CITY, UT--Landscape painters Joshua Baird and Valerie Orlemann are offering an art exhibit benefiting the Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners Organization.    The art exhibit will run from April 5 through June 28 at The Wine Store, 255 S. 300 E. in Salt Lake City—a venue scheduled by the Utah Arts Council.  The artists will donate 10% of their proceeds to the Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners. 

The work of these two painters includes landscapes from the Four Corners and the intermountain west.  However, both painters are based in towns bordering the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.   Joshua Baird works in Kanab, while Valerie Orlemann is based in Escalante.  The artists proposed this benefit to celebrate the importance of the Monument landscape to their art and in recognition of the work of the Partners Organization. 

The Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to raising awareness and resources in support of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument’s scientific, interpretive, and educational programs.  Visit http://www.gsenm.org/ for more information on the Partners and their work.

--From article in Southern Utah News, press release by Valerie Orlemann.

This series of paintings may be found under the portfolio entitled "Grand Staircase-Escalante".

I just returned from Plein Air Paradise 2007 in Midway Utah.  I received some awards and sold some paintings making it a successful trip for me.  The most valuable thing I got out of the event, was the nerve racking and exciting experience of having to whip out paintings left and right in short amounts of time.  I also met a lot of really great artists and art enthusiasts.  To see the paintings, click on the Midway Plein Air 2007 photo album icon.

Three cheers to the Midway Art Association for putting on such a wonderful event!  I'll be there for sure next year!

This painting entitled, "Grand Canyon Distance", was one of the paintings I parted with last weekend at Art in Kayenta.  I met a lot of great people, saw some beautiful artwork, and had a great time. 
This was the first time I've ever been to Kayenta, and I'm very appreciative of what they are doing over there in promoting natural landscaping, and architecture that harmonizes with the landscape.  When I drove into Kayenta at the break of Dawn on Saturday, I was amazed that of all the many homes in Kayenta, not one had a visible porch light.  No street lights, window lights, flashing lights, billboards, etc. I couldn't even see the houses.  Even when driving directly through the community, I noticed that I was only able to see the house that I was directly looking at, all the rest in my peripheral vision blended into the surrounding landscape.  We need more of these dignified desert developments that use little water, and respect the native plant life, and surrounding landscape.

Many people have expressed interest in this painting entitled "By Design".  The original has already been purchased so I've ordered 25 fine art giclee prints of the image.  The prints are on durable canvas with a glossy finish.  They are archival and look like the original painting.  Each print measures 12x17 inches and is currently priced at $120.  If you are interested, send me an email at [email protected]

Happy Holidays!

In November we lost our beloved "Papa", also known as Talmage Whiting Neilsen.  I did this painting entitled "Instruments of the Master" in the days after his passing.  Talmage was a well-known soft tissue surgeon which explains the surgery tools.  His kindness, intelligence, and humor will greatly be missed.

In October, I entered my first plein air painting competition in Escalante, Utah.  This competition was part of the Everett Ruess Days Festival.  The object was to create an image that attempted to capture the same beauty of the Grand Staircase/Escalante area that inspired the artist/wanderer Everett Ruess.  Participants had one week to do a maximum of five paintings in the categories of oil/acrylic and watercolor/mixed media.  Only one painting per category was submitted.  My oil painting entry (see above left) won an award of merit.  It was an exciting weekend!