Alix Baker

Biography

After art school in London and several years in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, I left to devote my time to art. For most of my art career I was one of the UK's leading military artists specialising in military dress with a particular interest in campaigns dress. I worked on official commissions for military units and museums, for collectors worldwide, maps and illustrations for history books and articles for specialist journals. Designers of silver statues and model soldiers frequently modelled their work on figures in my paintings. My interests are marine subjects and people and places at home and abroad. Having lived in Oman for 3 years, the country and its people remain an inspiration for my art. I'm a member of several national and local art societies, judge art exhibitions and write articles on various aspects of painting as a hobby or profession. I have been fortunate to win many awards at exhibition. I have exhibited with the ROI, RSMA, RBA, SWA, UA and Chelsea Art Society and others, particularly at the Mall Galleries. It is hard to sum up in a few words my art, its style and inspiration, my interpretation of light and colour. Like many artists, I get a physical craving, particularly when it's impossible to access time or art materials. I carry a notebook everywhere, jotting down thoughts, notes on colours, light, ideas etc. I’m for ever looking up at the sky and the many colours to be found in clouds! After many years of work that was more illustrative, I'm trying to loosen up and maybe that's why my style is constantly evolving. Inspiration is all around and I rather wish I had spent more years developing my non-military side - fewer committee meetings for a start! I feel there is a genetic link to the subjects I paint. Many ancestors were in the armed services, several were artists, explorers and one grandfather artist also built his own racing yachts. So I shouldn't be surprised at what I choose to paint!