Oh man...this is fun. This is a painting I did of Lucy, a beloved lab of a friend. Lucy is at the edge of the water of Frederick Sound in the late afternoon of a long summer day. The rocky beach, the reflections in the water and the islands in the background all make it so Southeast Alaska. Also the lab, a dog made for our rainy environment.

The following is the artist statement for a local art show entitled "Life Lines":

I spent some time thinking about what I was going to paint before I started and I decided on a few things. First I decided to be literal. All three paintings have dark lines around the figures…the life. This stylistic decision made me stretch. I had to be very definite in my initial drawings because the contour lines are so distinct. In addition, I had to pay particular attention to the design.

I just came back from three weeks in Italy where I was blown away by the amazing Renaissance art. I have always loved painting the human body and I was so pleased to see that the overwhelming subject in great Italian art is mankind. Think of Leonardo’s Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, Botticelli’s Venus and you have beautiful bodies. Needless to say, I was totally inspired so when I decide what to paint, it just had to be people.

Each painting is thematic. “Lifelines” is a group of women in the sea of life being offered a lifeline. The women are reaching for the line with different degrees of intensity. Some are in deeper water, some are in more need. All of us have lifelines, each one meeting our individual needs. When I was ill last year, I was in deep water. I reached for the love of my husband and family and friends to pull me to safety. Others reach for their faith, or maybe for internal strength. Of course we don’t have just one lifeline. Just as a rope is made of several strands, so are our lifelines. It could be said that a lifeline made of varied strands is stronger than one that is created by only one.

“Lined” has a much lighter theme. The woman is struggling to hold her heavy load of lined fish. It also is a painting for our community, showing that the fishing industry is a lifeline for our town’s prosperity.

And “Life is Short” is a self portrait showing me contemplating the length of my lifeline. I don’t really know if my lifeline is longer or shorter than average. All I do know is that the last 51 years have rushed by. I have no intention of wasting the short time I have left in an unhappy, unproductive situation. I feel so grateful to be spending this precious time in the most gorgeous place on earth among exceptional people.


Annabelle Baker
November 2006

I am setting up this blog so that I can share my art with others easily. It is my first experience of this kind.