Primarily a plein air landscape painter, Joe Baker CPS works in oils and pastels with occasional pieces in watercolors, acrylics, conte, charcoal and sculpture. Recent paintings exhibited include subjects from the Berkshires and other sections of New England, the Adirondacks, and travels to Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Florida and Baja California.

Joe's vocation is computer programming - custom software and websites - and he designed, created and maintains websites for the Kent Art Association (www.kentart.org) and the Housatonic Valley Art League (www.hvart.org - formerly the Sheffield Art League) among others. See his website at www.bakerworks.com. Prior to this career, he was for many years an instrument-maker. His violins, violas da gamba, and hardanger fiddles are owned and played by musicians on three continents, as well as being included in university and museum collections. He has a BA in biology from Princeton University and worked for five years as a cowboy in Wyoming before moving to the Berkshires in western Massachusetts in 1974.

Joe Baker has active membership in: The Pastel Society of America (PSA), the Connecticut Pastel Society (CPS) [Signature member], the Kent Art Association (KAA) [Elected Artist], and the Housatonic Valley Art League (HVAL).

Teachers: Joan Griswold (oil studio); classes & workshops with others including June Parker, Frank Federico, Dennis Sheehan, Richard McKinley

Selected Awards:
  Oct 2011: PPSCC FPO National Exhibition; My Art Tutor Award
  March 2011: CPS Member Show; Rembrandt Pastel Award
  Aug 2010: HVAL Member Show; Award of Excellence
  July 2010: HVAL Juried Show; Honorable Mention
  Jan 2009: CPS Member Show; Diane Townsend Pastel Award
  Aug 2007: HVAL Member Show; 3rd Prize
  Aug 2006: HVAL Member Show; Honorable Mention
  Sep 2005: KAA Fall Show; John T. Mott Award for Marine Painting
  Aug 2005: HVAL Member Show; 3rd Prize
  July 2005 HVAL Juried Summer Show; 3rd Prize.

Selected Shows and Exhibitions:
   2011: CPS Signature Member Show, East Hartford, CT
   2010: CPS Signature Member Show, Old Lyme, CT
   2010-11: Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod, "For Pastels Only", S. Yarmouth, MA
   2009-11: CPS Renaissance in Pastel Show, Waterbury, CT
   2009: Solo Show "Close to Home", Sandisfield, MA
   2008-11: CPS Member Shows, Meriden, CT
   2006-10: KAA Members, Spring, President's & EAI Shows, Kent, CT
   2006-10: HVAL Summer & Member Shows, Sheffield, MA
   2005: KAA Members, Spring, Elected Artist, President's and Fall Shows, Kent, CT
   2005: SAL Juried Summer & Member's Shows, Sheffield, MA
   2004: KAA Members, Spring, Fall and President's Shows, Kent, CT
   2004: SAL "Housatonic River Summer" Show & Member Show, Sheffield, MA
   2003: KAA Members and Spring Shows, Kent, CT
   1998 - 2003: Sheffield Art League Juried and Member Shows, Sheffield, MA

Publications:
   Sanctuary, The Journal of the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Nov/Dec 1996.