Today we’d like to introduce you to Alisha Baker.
Alisha, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Looking back, I wouldn’t say my stick figures, flowers and peace signs were more advanced than my peers, but I eagerly accepted art as something I was good at. Art was consistently my favorite subject in school, and I would say the start of this favoritism began with my elementary art teacher. He would introduce professional art material to the class and pass it around, explaining what it was used for. I will never forget the first time I used a kneaded eraser! Teachers play such a huge role in inspiring, encouraging and validating interests and passions in children. I still feel very lucky having had a passionate art teacher for the primary years of schooling.
Art remained my favorite subject throughout the years. Middle school was important because it propelled me to desperately want something different for high school. There were so many kids in the school: lots of fights, lots of cliques and I was really not looking forward to having the same experience in high school. I heard about an arts magnet school through a friend and was immediately determined that would be the answer to all my pains. I was late in the process (the deadline was a few weeks out) and my current art teacher encouraged me not to even begin the application process, as she had been developing portfolios with a select few for months. The best decision I ever made was to disregard that teacher’s advice and apply anyways. I treated getting that portfolio together like a life or death situation – because to a 12-year old, it was.
I was fortunate enough to attend George Washington Carver Center for the Arts and Technology and I know life would be different if I hadn’t. Art was no longer my favorite subject, it was my identity. This school was incredible and I could write a novel about it, but to sum it up, the staff and culture was magical. No fights, no cliques – just respect and creative collaboration. Thanks to my teachers, both in the arts and academics, I was more than prepared for college when I entered Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, MA where I chose to study illustration with a focus in art education.
It was tough adjusting after leaving a creative community with endless facilities put in place to support making. We get spoiled in school, starting out with everything at our fingertips, and after graduation day, it’s up to us to re-build the creative environment with the support we need. My fix for this was to move to Austin, TX where it was more affordable for someone just starting out with plenty of space to create. The city is always warm with plenty of maker’s markets and events showcasing the arts all year round. It continues to be a haven for creative growth!
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Whittled Inklings developed when I started sharing my making process through social media. The focus of this work is in the relief-printing process, specifically linocut. I make art prints, greeting cards and hand-printed, sewn bags. This process can be applied to so many mediums, so I am currently exploring hand-printed jewelry and clothing. My work also includes gouache paintings and the combination of both gouache and print in one. My influences are of the natural world, as well as subtle vintage influence, as I’m almost equally searching through estate sales and thrift stores for hidden treasures. Repetitive patterns and hand-lettered components can also be found throughout my work.
This body of work is just as much about the process of making, as it is the final product. I hope my work inspires others to explore the printmaking process!
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
My biggest advice would be to continue to explore creatively and to share what you’re working on with the people around you. Social media is such a powerful tool, and it has aided in my continuous drive to push forward, make more, and expand my wheelhouse. I definitely went through dry periods of not making, but as long as you are still visiting your local art store to invest in material and opening that sketchbook from time to time, you can get back on the art horse. I wish I was more open about my creative goals earlier, but I am grateful for all the work that has come since sharing with my community. If you are wishing to provide a creative service to those around you, no one will know unless you tell them. Shout it out, post process shots and videos, and blast events you’re taking part in. I have had people reach out to me for help in areas I never knew I’d be working in, and it’s because they know creating is what I enjoy doing!
I would also encourage every creative person to take classes. Continue to learn. A new skill gained is a new skill that can be applied creatively.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
My work can be found at www.whittledinklings.com, www.etsy.com/shop/WhittledInklings and @whittledinklings on Instagram. I also sell work online through Roots and Revival, Artfinder and Philadelphia’s Art Star Gallery & Boutique online store. My linocut stationery can be found at Sanctuary and The Burlap Bag in Austin, TX, Market 1023 in Bryan, TX and Art Star in Philadelphia.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whittledinklings.com
- Phone: 4436327417
- Email: hello.alishabaker@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whittledinklings
Image Credit:
Alisha Baker
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