The Nancy Margolis Gallery in NY is currently displaying “Midnight Sun”, an exhibition by Seattle Artist League instructor Charity Baker. The show features figurative landscapes in both small scale plein-air and large scale studio paintings. The collection aims to examine the psychological effects of perpetual sunlight. Yearning to reconnect with nature during the global pandemic, Baker experienced a profound uplifting effect from the sun during periods of isolation. Fascinated by the power of light, she questioned what would happen if the sun never fully set. To experience this, Baker traveled to Böllnas, Sweden, in the summer of 2022. Through this series of paintings, Baker investigates how the midnight sun illuminates moments of both day and night.
DAYLIGHT 2022 Oil on canvas 56 x 56 inches
“As exciting as constant light can be, it affects quietly functioning parts of the body like our biological clock, cognition, memory, arousal, sleep and energy balance. I wanted to experience this World of the Midnight Sun and paint it up close.”
— Charity Baker
TREES (MORNING) – TREES (NIGHT) – TREES (DAY) 2022 Oil on masonite panel 9 x 12 inches
Baker created a collection of landscapes through direct observation, each featuring the sun as a constant presence. The paintings are intentionally disorienting, as they obscure the time of day and challenge our assumptions about the stillness of evening. As a series, the studies communicate a sense of ambiguity and exuberance for a world illuminated by the sun.
BATHERS (MORNING) – BATHERS (NIGHT) 2022 Oil on masonite panel 8 x 10 inchesORBADEN SUNSET 2022 Oil on canvas 50 x 57 inches
In contrast to Baker’s small-scale plein-air studies, her large-scale studio paintings explore the effects of perpetual sunlight on a person’s inner world. These works were created in her studio, separated from the original source of inspiration, so they focus more heavily on human experiences than on natural representations. The sun’s illumination reveals private actions and desires, highlighting moments charged with emotion and intimacy between pairs of figures. While darkness typically provides a sense of privacy to explore longings, mischief, and uncertainty, the midnight sun’s light exposes these vulnerabilities and desires for all to witness.
ARCHIPELAGO II 2023 Oil on canvas 18 x 19 inches VALLEY (NIGHT) – VALLEY (DAY) 2022 Oil on masonite panel 8 x 10 inches – 6 x 6 inchesMIDNIGHT SUN 2023 Oil on canvas 31 x 31 inches
“While we stepped back during the pandemic, Nature dominated even a city like New York, and I was reminded about my inherent connection to it, most specifically to the sky. The sun got me through incredible moments of isolation.”
— Charity Baker
BIRCH – ARCHIPELAGO III 2023 Oil on masonite panel 20 x 16 inches – 10 x 8 inchesIN THE FOREST WITH STARS 2022 Oil on canvas 36 x 24 inchesLAKE SWIMMERS I – II – III 2022 Oil on panel 6 x 6 inches – 8 x 8 inches – 6 x 6 inchesSUMMER FOREST AT NIGHT 2023 Oil on canvas 67 x 74 inches
Charity Baker currently serves as a faculty member and Working Artist in Residence at the New York Studio School. In addition to her work in New York, Baker also teaches online art classes with the Seattle Artist League. Her show at the Nancy Margolis Gallery runs through March 31, 2023.
Thank you to Charity Baker and the Nancy Margolis Gallery for use of quotes and images for this post.
Preparing for my Unconventional Portraits class this Friday night, I asked Google to show me famous portrait painters. I saw this: In a line of 27 portrait painters, 24 are white men. The exceptions are two black people, and two women. One person in the line is both black, and a woman: Amy Sherald. That …
[image_with_animation image_url=”7962″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Michele Yanow In January we sent out 30 days of Creative Challenges. I heard that many of you were doing the challenges at home, and a few of you were outgoing enough to post your projects to our facebook page. It was a thrill to see them every day. …
Yesterday I posted drawings by Stanley Lewis. Lewis was one of the influences listed by Charity Baker at the New York Studio School. Looking through Lewis’ art and writing, I found an interview on Painting Perceptions that talked about his methods, and his influences: “[Painting from perception] often feels like a horribly impossible thing to …
” load_in_animation=”none People are posting their creative challenges online! You can find them by using the hashtags #salchallenge @seattleartistleague. Below are some interesting artworks for week one that I wanted to share. The words for week one were unidextral, puerile, unlovesome, unguiform, unciform, urceiform, ubiquit. If you see your project here, contact me for your …
Charity Baker “Midnight Sun”
The Nancy Margolis Gallery in NY is currently displaying “Midnight Sun”, an exhibition by Seattle Artist League instructor Charity Baker. The show features figurative landscapes in both small scale plein-air and large scale studio paintings. The collection aims to examine the psychological effects of perpetual sunlight. Yearning to reconnect with nature during the global pandemic, Baker experienced a profound uplifting effect from the sun during periods of isolation. Fascinated by the power of light, she questioned what would happen if the sun never fully set. To experience this, Baker traveled to Böllnas, Sweden, in the summer of 2022. Through this series of paintings, Baker investigates how the midnight sun illuminates moments of both day and night.
2022
Oil on canvas
56 x 56 inches
— Charity Baker
2022
Oil on masonite panel
9 x 12 inches
Baker created a collection of landscapes through direct observation, each featuring the sun as a constant presence. The paintings are intentionally disorienting, as they obscure the time of day and challenge our assumptions about the stillness of evening. As a series, the studies communicate a sense of ambiguity and exuberance for a world illuminated by the sun.
2022
Oil on masonite panel
8 x 10 inches
2022
Oil on canvas
50 x 57 inches
In contrast to Baker’s small-scale plein-air studies, her large-scale studio paintings explore the effects of perpetual sunlight on a person’s inner world. These works were created in her studio, separated from the original source of inspiration, so they focus more heavily on human experiences than on natural representations. The sun’s illumination reveals private actions and desires, highlighting moments charged with emotion and intimacy between pairs of figures. While darkness typically provides a sense of privacy to explore longings, mischief, and uncertainty, the midnight sun’s light exposes these vulnerabilities and desires for all to witness.
2023
Oil on canvas
18 x 19 inches
2022
Oil on masonite panel
8 x 10 inches – 6 x 6 inches
2023
Oil on canvas
31 x 31 inches
— Charity Baker
2023
Oil on masonite panel
20 x 16 inches – 10 x 8 inches
2022
Oil on canvas
36 x 24 inches
2022
Oil on panel
6 x 6 inches – 8 x 8 inches – 6 x 6 inches
2023
Oil on canvas
67 x 74 inches
Charity Baker currently serves as a faculty member and Working Artist in Residence at the New York Studio School. In addition to her work in New York, Baker also teaches online art classes with the Seattle Artist League. Her show at the Nancy Margolis Gallery runs through March 31, 2023.
Thank you to Charity Baker and the Nancy Margolis Gallery for use of quotes and images for this post.
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