JEREL ROWAN BAKER AND THE PAINTED PATH!
It was just after dark, and our family had finished eating. I noticed my big brother slip away outside as everyone was unusually captivated by the television. I quietly followed him. He walked to the edge of the woods and stood there silently, looking at the moon. I snapped a twig and he turned and saw me.
”There`s a man up there….did you know that?” I hesitated, after all, it had not been that long since he had given me the round blue rock to sit on…..it never did hatch. we both stared as he talked about rockets and vast distances….slowly i realized two things……how small and frail we are…..and how limitless are the possibilities…..NOTHING is out of reach.
That was long ago in the age of Aquarius . Should I become a cowboy or an astronaut? …Either way, I still have my crayons.
Twenty years later…after experimenting in several art forms, I finally bought some brushes
and oil paints…it all came together. First, I would write a short story or a catchy line or melody, then I would illustrate my thoughts. I practiced for several months, working my way into a style and preparing for my first REAL work of art. I stretched a huge canvas , and began painting a large Treble Clef composed of 9 female forms [ 9 muses ] amidst a turbulent background……I then discovered I was going to be a father.
What no artist can match……..the wonders of the womb……..my inspiration …my theme emerged. I finished ”Overture” a month before my daughter was born, and she appeared in life to be the image of the infant in the painting….her birth confirmed my path…
I have spent the last 20 years creating art in the solitude of my room after the kids were asleep. until joining Facebook a year ago, it has remained largely unseen. I have no credentials and I am allergic to self promotion.
I never make sketches in the traditional sense. I usually find an idea within the words I write in my journals…..or while randomly strumming my guitar…it only seems to work if it is multi dimensional…..that is, if it flows directly from one art form to another…i.e . music to paint.
It has long been my dream to be published. I have always made a point of producing high quality archives….should the occasion arise…..at any rate, the collection should be of some entertainment value to my descendants ….if they have enough room hahaha!!
Jerel, welcome and thank you sincerely for participating in this project by answering the following questions:
No. 1) What is art to and for you? (generally and personally)
Aesthetic Reflections of Thought….A.R.T. is an acronym I wrote 20 years ago when i began to paint. The starting point of everything i attempt to create , begins with a word or phrase. i then try to imagine a visual metaphor….and render it in a style compatible to the meaning. i believe art should be the ultimate communication device when it is at its best…beyond language or even educational barriers.
No. 2) What inspires you?
I primarily read history books and encyclopaedias for pleasure. I also walk several miles a day in secluded natural places and ponder the world as it could be, and reflect on the facts of what i have gathered from Socrates and Zoroaster to the Beatles. IN short, I am inspired by the shoulders upon which I stand.
No. 3) When you are creating, painting, where does it take you? I mean where does your mind travel?
When struck by an idea , I retreat into dreamtime until the basic layer or even the whole painting is finished…if a painting gives me a déjà vu sensation the next morning, then i feel some satisfaction that it might work…when deep into my oils, i am without language and remain simple and primitive in mind…just eyes, hands, and spark.
No. 4) Do you think painting, music and health are related and if so, how or what makes you think so?
Meditation has healed bones I have broken, and brings ideas unspoken.
The simple [ hahaha ] act of clearing my mind and letting the light funnel down my spine….healing what hurts as it passes……this is a simple religious truth…and it only evaporates upon examination, so i just do it without questioning its origin….but it all correlates with art music and health.
No. 5) How do you feel when you are painting?
When Immersed, I feel nothing…..I am an observer intent on understanding and becoming the object of my focus.
No. 6) Do you identify with your subject and if so, on what level?
I think it is important to have some sort of empathetic relationship with the subject….ironically the fascination usually begins with its mystery….I am puzzled therefore I paint.
No. 7) Under what conditions do you work best?
Freedom…with restrictions. I don’t go looking for ideas, they have to naturally occur, with the freedom of rambling thoughts that collide…..the restriction is that it must be comprehensible to others or it is just art for arts sake. If i try to force an idea, it rarely works…..if i paint just to feel creative it works even less.
however…..if someone commissions me to do a portrait and gives me an idea of what is important in their life,stories, images etc, and lets me compose them as i intuit, that is the kind of condition under which I flourish.
No. 8) Does painting help you connect with your “higher self” , whatever that may be for you?
It moves my center of consciousness……of course neurologically , the nature of our thoughts from speaking to playing the piano, all emanate from different regions of the brain, but it is also true of the spirit….it burns in different regions of our being. Sometimes it flickers, sometimes it is in our belly or below the belt….sometimes it flares up as a crown on the top of your head….that’s when you need to paint.
No. 9) How do you feel about creativity in the public school system, its development as well as its use for problem solving?
I think the most fundamental thing a kid must learn …is that learning is fun….not to say it should be easy. Every baby that drops a spoon to watch mommy pick it up again and again , is a scientist….because kids intrinsically love to discover, see cause and effect and manipulate. if learning is presented through creative projects kids will learn through action….witness the higher scores and retention abilities of kids who play musical instruments
No. 10) In your opinion, what could be a simple solution to improve creativity in the public school system?
(see 9)
No. 11) What are you hoping to convey to the public through your art?
I just hope somehow to add to the lexicon of images that convey a truth….hopefully long after my name is forgotten a few of my images will survive in some form.
Jerel, you have been most generous with us in sharing your thoughts, feelings, experience and wonderful talent with us. I do hope our paths cross again and until then, keep well and be blessed!
TO THE READER :
Thank you so much for your comments, they are always very much appreciated. You are invited to join Jerel’s fan page on Facebook where you can see more of his fascinating art! Enjoy!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/jerel-rowan-baker/264792456893
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Comments
You have excellent artwork
Where can I purchase the artwork?
THanks
Lamont A. Bibbie
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