Whether it be a person or a place, a moment or a day, a dream or an awakening, I strive to translate the experience into something for others to see. I use paper as well as metal for support medium and apply bold use of color and confident strokes that are quick and unguarded. 

I began making art at the age of seven. As a child I was the day-dreaming doodler. I then received formal art education at the University of Southwestern Louisiana.

I have enjoyed teaching for over 25 years in both classroom and private settings. I’ve facilitated large public art projects for children and written the grants to fund those projects.

​email: margomirebaker@gmail.com

​My first experience with the power of color; in this case the power of Red, with its innate, potent, passionate, foxy ways was through my Mother telling me, "If you feel blue wear red."  And I still do.
 
Red the mood changer, in a class by its alizarin self, fits into the category of sui generis.

Red is in a class by its flaming, ruby, cardinal, courageous self.

Its vermillion vivacity may be challenged by cherry red, by blood red,  all the Reds abundant confidence.
 
We know the way a slight or sturdy blush yields so much information yet not a word spoken. The flame the sizzle the desire in Reds weave  shamelessly through many of my paintings. Erotic, intense, emotional, not unlike the way a fire engine grabs our imagination and brings to wonder.

​We rivet to Red with its natural ease radiating that vibrant pulse of scarlet curiosity.

As you may or may not know I also work at the Sans Souci Gallery. There are times when a customer will purchase an item that I find unattractive, to be nice about it. But, it’s not my purchase and it’s not my “eye.” No one should be told what they should like or dislike. I have a very good friend I’ve known for years, I even stood in one of his weddings. He doesn’t like my mixed media work. Does it bother me? No, not in the least. I don’t do it for him. Believe in yourself. Believe in what you do but also learn from constructive criticism. It will make you stronger and a better artist.

There is another message I need to impart. Due to Covid and the necessary separation, we’ve not had a general meeting of members. That’s coming to an end, and soon. The meeting will be June 27th so please plan to attend. As artists, we need to rub elbows… if that’s all we can do. It’s time to get back together.

​Your President of your LAA, Terry Palmer tpalmer@cox-internet.com

I enjoy reading science fiction novels.

​That is, well written, creative science fiction that requires a bit of thought, reflection and some understanding of space dynamics. And, yes, of course there must be use of a proton blaster, that they’ve conquered cool fusion and have hyper space drive (you gotta get from A to Z in a hurry). I recently found an author that I love with one hell of an imagination and was pleasantly surprised when this passage was the intro to a chapter in the novel I’m reading at present:

“After the Quiet War, when art was no longer supported by state funds or by those more interested in iconoclasm, the grotesqueries of the previous centuries died a deserved death. People were no longer satisfied or impressed by political messages in an age when politicians and ideologues had become objects of ridicule. Higher general intelligence and broader knowledge of the world, of the solar system, also enabled them to at last see through the obfuscations and justifications of lazy but glib pretenders to art. Something of a renaissance occurred when art returned at last to its natural state of being beautiful objects or elegant design that people are prepared to pay for. Thousands of artists, who previously would not have considered producing objects of beauty, now started producing. Legions of art critics whose greatest skill was analysis of non-existent meaning discovered an urgent need to retrain. And the time had returned at last when a gorgeous painting taking weeks of skill to produce might garner more praise than a frozen pig’s penis in a glass of vodka.”

How can I end this but to ask you to forget about politics, forget about ideologies and just go make some beautiful art. Then enter it in the upcoming Members Only Spring Show Exhibit.
​
Your President of your LAA, Terry Palmer, tpalmer@cox-internet.com

I was born in Troy, NY, and grew up in Peru, Illinois.  During a long college career at McNeese, Southern Illinois University and Western Illinois University I studied music and photography.  In 1988 I moved to Lafayette, Louisiana, and opened Nouveau Photeau soon after.
 
In 2007, I earned the degree of Certified Professional Photographer from the Professional Photographers of America.  Less than 2% of all professional photographers have earned this degree.  I teach several photography classes through the Potpourri Division at UL.
 
I have long been a huge fan of Ansel Adams as well as the portrait work of Kenny Rogers. (Yeah, the country singer) I have been influenced by Ansel Adam’s work, but also by a gentleman  named Bob Kahn, and Louisiana natives Kirk Voclain and Tim Babin.
 
My business is a portrait studio, but my personal art comes mostly from my relaxation time away from the studio. As an example, when COVID and the shutdowns hit, I took the opportunity to pursue more personal pursuits which led to an exhibit. It was first displayed at the gallery of the Louisiana Secretary of State’s building, and several other venues since.
 
I was once told that a creativity is the act of taking something ordinary and make something extraordinary. That is precisely what I attempt to do. I try to see something considered ordinary by others and do something with it in the camera that makes it look less ordinary. (EXTRAordinary)
 
Even in my portrait work, I try to visually show something about my subject that everyone knows, but now they SEE it visually.
 
I love to show the ordinary in an extra-ordinary fashion. I hope you enjoy my work.

The 9" x 12" encaustic piece (at right) was created at a recent LAA workshop led by Bonnie Camos. Although it is a recent work, its origin of inspiration began three years earlier while taking a Drawing class at UL.

In our class assignment, we were given a list of famous artist of the “Suprematism” movement which is focused on basic geometric forms, such as circles, squares, lines, and rectangles, painted in a limited range of colors based upon "the supremacy of pure artistic feeling" rather than on visual depiction of objects. 
 
I chose a simple piece by Ivan Kliun (1873-1943): a Russian Avant-Garde painter, sculptor and art theorist because of its intrigue and simplicity. ​We were to model the design with household items and then do a “still life” charcoal rendering. 

​The encaustic interpretation was painted directly on a hot plate without considering the mono print would be a reverse image representation. The three dots and thin lines were applied afterwards with India ink.