Hannah Ivory Baker is a self-taught artist based in North London painting flora, seascapes and landscapes. Working predominantly in oil paint, Hannah explores the dynamic interplay between texture, light, and form.
"My technique is primarily alla prima as I feel that this approach enables me to capture the immediacy and energy of a scene, recording the basic shapes, tones, and light in a single session. I start by painting the main features of the landscape, seascape or floral piece, then intuitively develop the rest, allowing the painting to evolve naturally and organically. Some paintings demand a longer process that takes place over several days or weeks.”
Her process is informed and inspired by numerous quick sketches done on location using a variety of mediums. These quick sketches are then used as inspiration for her work in the studio. Texture is a crucial aspect of Hannah's work, the versatility of oil paint allows her to manipulate the medium to convey depth and detail. Wiping away paint to reveal underlying tones or scratching into the paint layer allows me to enhance the illusion of space and highlight different areas of composition.
Hannah works with large decorating brushes and palette knives to create broad, expressive strokes. She mainly uses a limited palette of five colours, plus black and white, for her land and seascape paintings which ensures a harmony across her works, whilst challenging her to explore the full potential of each hue. This restricted palette also allows her to focus on the interplay of light and shadow, enhancing the emotional impact of her landscapes. The range of colour is much broader in her floral work although each piece tends to have an earthiness similar to that of her landscape work.
Each painting aims to evoke a sense of place and form, capturing the essence of the natural world while leaving room for personal interpretation.