I started to feel trapped in the sign business - I just wanted to
create my own art. The relationship with my boyfriend/partner
crumbled and I found myself burned out as far as the sign busi-
ness was concerned. Still hoping to pursue Fine Art, I would
escape as often as possible, by airbrushing my personal art in
solitude.
I discovered the online airbrush boards in 2003. I met many
airbrush artists, great folks, and made fantastic friends. I hap-
pened across another airbrush artist on those boards who also
donated to wildlife sanctuaries as I did - I wrote him and found
that we had a lot in common. This was the first time I talked to
J. W. Baker. His artwork just blew me away! We became online
friends, emailing occasionally to discuss art. I felt an incredibly
strong attraction to him from the beginning.
Over the course of the years I believe I have tried every two di-
mensional medium available, and have even dabbled in sculpture
and wood-carving. I was 30 when I first picked up an airbrush. I
had seen many examples of what was possible with an airbrush,
but I have to say I was more than a little intimidated by the idea
of not having physical contact with the surface you were paint-
ing on - it was foreign to my experience to date... Yet, the desire
to try it someday was always there.
That first experience with airbrushing finally came about as a
matter of necessity. I was offered a mural job in a restaurant but
it needed to be done in a very short time period and it seemed to
me this may be a very good use for an airbrush, which was quite
In June of 2005, I left my boyfriend/partner AND the sign busi-
an assumption on my part considering I had never used one
ness of 13 years behind. I was prepared to start over again
before! I told the owner I could do the job using an airbrush - he
with nothing. I found a small place and began a new venture
was quite impressed and asked me the cost of the job. I told him
that I called; “Illusioncraft Studios.” I was again happy and felt
I needed to work up a quote and would get back to him. I went to
free to create. It was at this time J. W. wrote and told me of his
the local art supply store and priced everything I thought I would
divorce (coincidentally he was leaving a 13 year relationship as
need, totaled it up and doubled the amount. I went back and
well) and that he was going to travel the country for a while. I
quoted my price based on the figure I had come up with and told
wished him well and began my new life. In October of that same
the owner I would need half the money up front as a down pay-
year I heard from J. W. again. We discussed our lives, talked
ment and took that money and went back and bought everything
about how we were both starting over and how we both wanted
I thought I needed. I taught myself how to use the airbrush on
to create fine art. I invited him to visit. He accepted and flew up
the job and that was my first experience airbrushing.
from Florida to hang out. By the time I’d driven him to my house
I didn’t use the airbrush much after that - it was a sort of “on
from the airport we were in love. He asked me to marry him 10
again - off again” relationship, where I used it only for similar ap-
days later, and I accepted. We were married a few weeks later.
plications but never for fine art.
We decided to live here in North Carolina, and started a Fine
It wasn’t until 1991 when I really took up airbrushing full time.
Art venture together, WOLF SONG STUDIO.
It was at this point I had decided to make being an Artist my
only way of making a living. Up until that point it had been either
J. W. Baker:
a hobby pursuit with occasional sales, or a semi-professional
I have been painting with passion and purpose since I was 3
pursuit done on a part time basis.
years old - That’s over 50 years of painting experience. For me
I had decided I wanted to create large Fantasy Art pieces and I
this was an every day activity, not just a pastime or distraction
was going to use the airbrush to work on the scale I envisioned.
but something that was undertaken as means to communicate
Unfortunately the local populous was less than supportive of my
that which I lacked the words for at that time... Painting has
large, semi-nude Fantasy women figures. I was turned down by
always been my best (and most effective) means of communi-
numerous galleries and venues and it was quite discouraging
cation.
- I contemplated quitting the “working Artist” idea quite early in
my career.
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