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By Dylan Reubenking/dylan@yelmonline.com
By Dylan Reubenking https://yelmonline.com/stories/local-artist-featured-in-online-arts-exhibition,331628

dylan@yelmonline.com

A piece of Yelm is included in Manhattan Arts International’s online exhibition “The Healing Power of Art: Love, Peace, Unity & Hope.”

Deborah Ann Baker’s acrylic piece, titled “Serenity,” which depicts Lake Lawrence, is included in the exhibition from now through Jan. 31, 2024.

She painted the 14-by-16 piece on canvas while sitting on the bank of Lake Lawrence near her Yelm home. Baker said the artwork conveys the peace she experienced on the lake.

“It’s very relaxing to look at, and I’ve gotten several comments from people about how they could feel themselves on a boat out on the lake,” she said of “Serenity,” which took her about a day to complete. “I just love this area. The lake is very calming. That’s why I decided to settle here. Washington is absolutely beautiful.

Baker has lived in the area for 12 years and Washington state for more than 30 years. She is a published author, independent artist and illustrator who has instructed adults and teens in acrylics for nearly two decades. She also worked as a psychotherapist after earning her PhD in psychology.

She discovered the Manhattan Arts International’s exhibition through reading an open call for an artist, and the theme of how art can be healing and peaceful resonated with her. She decided between two pieces of art, “Serenity” and an abstract piece called “Love Blooms,” and chose the former for the exhibition.

“It’s very exciting to have my work in the exhibition. Recognition of a piece always feels wonderful, and it leaves with the idea of why you’re doing this,” Baker said. “I’m doing this to present more love and joy and beauty in the world, and so having that recognized in the world is the biggest joy.”

The exhibition presents art by 57 artists from around the world working in different styles and mediums. It opened online on Nov. 27 and is open to view through Jan. 31 at https://www.healing-power-of-art.org/the-healing-power-of-art-love-peace-unity-hope-2023-exhibition/.

Baker said that her approach for painting, or any type of artwork, is to meditate and “enter the void,” using whatever comes into her mind as the beginning of her next piece.

“My process is I usually get a feeling or a color or a scene, something evokes something. It’s kind of nebulous, so I just start with blocking in some colors on the canvas, and I open myself up to the feeling,” she said. “As I’m putting color onto the canvas, it starts to reveal itself.”

Before becoming an accomplished artist, she enjoyed drawing as a child growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana. She was told by her third-grade teacher that she had no talent and that she would never become an artist because she painted a tree purple.

“I was squashed. I still did things at home, but I never showed them to anybody,” Baker said. “I tried to bring it back into my practice as a psychotherapist, and I found it was very healing for the clients. So I got back into that creativeness, and I’ve been painting now for about 35 years.”

Baker retired two years ago to pursue her art as much as she could. She most recently worked at the Timberland Library, where she taught acrylic classes. She hopes to continue creating art and proving her third-grade teacher wrong.

“I wish I could take that third-grade teacher to lunch to tell her that she gave me a gift because it was something that I had to grow from,” she said.

To find Baker’s art collections, visit https://deborahann-baker.pixels.com/.

Enjoy this Spectacular New Video on the Manhattan Arts International YouTube Channel titled The Healing Power of Art: Love, Peace, Unity & Hope Exhibition.
https://buff.ly/47TBAPi
More than 20 Contemporary Artists and several Master Artists are in the video including Elliot Appel, Gail Bach,
Deborah Ann Baker.
Artist, Illustrator, Sandra Belitza-Vazquez, Dr Michael Durst, Patrick Fleming, Nanette Fluhr, Lisa Altshuler Freidus, Sharon Grimes, Diane Fleisch Hughes, Fadia Jawdat, Karen Johnston, Agnes Jorgensen, Gina Klawitter, Joan Metcalf, Moriah Mylod, Pamela Nigro, Denisa Prochazka, Atousa Raissyan, Andrea Robinson, Bren Sibilsky, Lynn Sposito, Frantisek-Strouhal, Peter N. Van Giesen, whose art is shown here, Mark Weller and Sandra Duran Wilson. Plus, Chagall, Monet, Cassatt, Miro and some other Master Artists. https://buff.ly/47TBAPi

Introduction to Deborah Ann Baker, Artist & Author
My Process
My Artwork

Deborah Ann Baker, Intuitive Fine Art Artist
TIPS: Intuitive Painting


· Our environment affects us more than we often realize. Prepare your work area with no interruptions.
· Manage the inner critic, the monkey mind (social consciousness) and the lizard (reptilian)brain.
o Shift your mood, let go of the outcome and be a little silly.
o How do you want to feel while you are painting?
o Paint in meditation. Prepare with a short meditation, deep breathing, etc.
o Remember this is play. Just do the work.
· Okay to release control. Be aware of what a painting says and follow that lead.
· Journal or sketchbook to capture thoughts. Ask a question guide me, show me, & teach me.
· Painting over your painting and nonattachment—Lots of layer.
· Paint as a resource for living a full life. It is never too late. Release your creativity.
· Paint as a release from everyday stress and become healthier.
· Paint to renew your soul, spirit. All is well in the moment.
· Paint to become a better Artist. This process feeds your work on a deep and rewarding level.

Becoming More Intuitive Deborah Ann Baker, Intuitive Fine Art Artist
Your subconscious mind is the source of your hidden genius and will always provide you with the knowledge you need to move forward in the right direction. This is true for all people, not just those who consider themselves to be psychic or highly intuitive.
Consider this: have you ever been thinking about someone – and out of the blue the phone rings and that exact person is on the line?
Or have you ever felt like someone is watching you – and when you turn around you see someone staring at you from some distance away?
These are just two common examples of your intuition at work. Just like memory, critical thinking, and intellect, your intuition is a mental muscle you can strengthen and use to create success and become the best possible version of yourself.

1. Recognize when your intuition speaks
First of all, in order to be able to use your intuition, you must able to recognize it when it speaks to you. Intuition usually isn’t loud or demanding – it’s subtle and communicates in different ways for different people.
For example, you may receive visual messages, such as images that appear in quick flashes or visions that unfold slowly, like a movie.
Your intuition might speak to you as a hunch, a thought, or in words. You may even be able to enter into a dialogue with your intuition to get more information and clarity.
Alternatively, your intuition may speak to you in physical sensations, such as goose bumps, discomfort in your gut, a feeling of relief, or a sour taste in your mouth.
You may receive intuitive messages through your emotions, such as feelings of uneasiness or confusion when your inner wisdom is steering you away from something – or feelings of euphoria and profound peace when you’re being guided down a path that will lead you to greater personal joy and abundance.
Sometimes intuition messages are simply a deep sense of knowing and certainty. If you’ve ever felt that you knew something to be true in the depths of your heart or soul, chances are it was a message from your intuition.

2. Deepen your intuition through meditation
In order to access your intuition, you need to deepen your connection to it – and meditation is an excellent tool for this. Regular meditation will help you clear your mind of distractions and teach you how to better recognize the subtle impulses from within.
I recommend you set aside time each day to meditate on your own, or use guided meditations such as those found in my Awakening Power program.
It doesn’t have to be long – even 10 minutes a day will yield powerful results and will make it much easier for you to notice your intuition when it speaks to you through words, images, emotions, or physical sensations.

3. Dedicate time to listen to your intuition each day
Life is busy, and in the rush to cross off items on our daily to-do lists, it’s easy to forget to stop and tune into our higher intelligence. But your most valuable wisdom comes when you are most open to receiving it.
That’s why I encourage you to devote time every day – multiple times a day, if necessary – to consciously give your intuition center stage. This is especially important when you’re being asked to make any important decisions. Be sure to take some time to sit with your intuition and look inside yourself for the answers before you choose which path to take.

4. Ask questions
Receiving wisdom from your intuition shouldn’t be a passive experience. Get specific about the information you need and what kind of answers you’re looking for. The more clearly you pose your questions to your innate wisdom, the clearer the answers will be.

5. Write down your answers
Intuitive messages are subtle and can fade from your conscious mind very quickly unless you take action to record them. In fact, neuroscience research indicates that intuitive insights not captured within 37 seconds will likely never be recalled again.
Journal writing is a highly effective way to access your intuition and capture its wisdom. I suggest you make a regular practice of journaling for just five or ten minutes a day – you’ll be amazed at the clarity of what comes through!

6. Take immediate action
The Universe rewards those who take action – and so does your intuition. When you act on the information you receive from your inner source of wisdom, you open the channel between your subconscious and conscious mind even wider and will receive more intuitive messages that are stronger and easier for you to hear and act on.

7. Trust yourself
The more faith you demonstrate in your intuition, the greater the results will be.
Whether you want to make better decisions, solve problems faster, or create winning plans for your life, you will achieve your goals faster and more effectively when you tune into your intuition and listen to what your inner wisdom has to say.

Achieve Your Biggest Dreams & Create A Life You Love

More trusting of your intuition is all about trusting yourself – and the more trust you place in yourself, the more success you will have.

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