About El Baker

I'm an Austin-based artist with an eye for adding whimsy to familiar landscapes. Initially inspired by road trips across Texas, I've painted everything from Big Bend National Park to Austin's beloved Barton Springs Pool. Now I'm branching out and painting other beautiful regions from the US and making mixed-media collages.

My artistic process is ever-evolving and combines tradition and innovation. When I paint a landscape, I don't want it to look realistic like a photo, I want it to convey the warmth of the place or the happy memories. I'm known to add photo elements to my work or to cut up a painting and glue it back together in a quirky mosaic. I work from my home studio, flooded with natural light -- I'm grateful to have space to make a mess.

I remember a creative childhood filled with outdoor adventures and the freedom to always be making something, whether it was art, a new recipe or starting a garden. I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I grew up and decided an outdoor product designer sounded fun.  I earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from UT-Austin and hoped to design tents, bikes, and more. While in college, I didn't make much art but always had a box of art supplies, just in case. 

After graduating, I worked for a few years in engineering, then a few years in marketing and then happily became a stay-at-home mom when our daughter was born in 2019. During her naps and during COVID, I started creating again. First, I made dioramas out of Amazon boxes I'd been amassing. Then I painted a few small watercolors and eventually found my way to acrylic. At the time, we lived in Chattanooga, TN and I was homesick for Texas and painted some Austin places and landscapes and shared those on Instagram. The Texas pieces were received well and friends and family encouraged me to sell prints. So that's why I did. My Etsy shop opened in April 2020 and I think I made my first Etsy sale in June 2020, and the ball has just kept rolling for the past 5 years. 

My business has continued to grow since 2019 (I've had over 13,000 orders on Etsy!) and my prints are sold on Anthropologie.com, Artfully Walls at The Cathedral in Austin, and will soon be found at World Market. I also sell wholesale prints on Faire and am grateful to small retailers across the country who stock my work. It's been a fun adventure and I'm excited to see what 2025 has in store.

 

I live in South Austin with my husband, daughter, son and soon-to-be baby boy #2. When I'm not painting, you'll find me exploring parks with my family, going for a jog, baking up a treat, or reading a good book.