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Sunflower 2 © Mary Baker, Oil on Canvas

Creative Space

For me my studio evokes the whispers of the stillness of New England's meeting houses and the tranquility of New England's gardens. I have always loved both New England gardens and meeting houses. But this studio made me realize why. I love the way the light filters down from the balcony's windows on the stark white walls, and filters through the leaves and flowers in the garden. But, the thing I love the most, is the illuminating silence.

I have never been able to paint with people around or a great deal of noise. If I do play music, it is one CD that I will play over and over for months, even years, which eventually becomes a kind of chant or a mantra.

In the stillness it is possible for me to hear that deep inner voice, far below my conscious self, to be able to know what to paint each day, so that I can listen to my paintings as they take shape and grow. The silence is a mystery that I enter into each time I sit down in my studio to paint. It is in that still, tranquil and centering space that I can take small steps along the way on a creative journey.

The studio holds in a sense the silence of a womb, a place where paintings are born. The garden outside reminds me of the cycles of creativity. The white walls and illuminating light reminds me that I will have the courage to hear my own inner voice, which will be made visible each day, little by little on the studio walls.