Bill Baker: My Travels, Paintings of People and Place
Discover Bill Baker’s oils and pastels in My Travels, Paintings of People and Place, on view November 16–30, 2026, at Acosta Strong Fine Art. Meet the artist November 20, 5–7 p.m., and explore paintings available to purchase online.
Bill Baker’s My Travels, Paintings of People and Place brings a world of encounters to Acosta Strong Fine Art this November. Through oils and pastels, Baker draws our attention to the people, work, and landscapes that give a journey its lasting meaning. Join us on Canyon Road to explore the exhibition and meet the artist at our November reception.
Exhibition and artist reception
On view: November 16–30, 2026
Artist reception: Friday, November 20, 2026, 5–7 p.m.
Location: Acosta Strong Fine Art, 200 Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501
The exhibition follows Baker’s travels through paintings of people and the places that surround them. A shepherd and flock beneath a rugged ridge, a spinner at work, and a figure carrying goods beside a sunlit wall offer different ways into the show. These are scenes that reward close looking: the turn of a face, the movement of a hand, a reflection on water, or the changing rhythm of light across cloth and land.
Across the collection, people and place remain closely connected. The figure is part of the landscape’s daily life, while the setting gives a gesture its context. Moving from one painting to the next, visitors can follow Baker’s interest in both individual presence and the larger patterns of a scene.
About Bill Baker
Bill Baker’s path toward painting grew from a life of work, looking, and travel. While working as a carpenter in New York City, visits to museums encouraged him to pursue art classes in Poughkeepsie. After a year of study, he continued learning through travel, taking a camera and sketchbooks along as he explored.
His subjects have included Indigenous communities in northern Mexico, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Mongolia, Africa, and South America. His portraits of northern Mexico’s Tarahumara people are an important part of the body of work presented by Acosta Strong. Vivid color, contrasts of light and shadow, and a mosaic-like approach to the picture surface distinguish his work. Baker’s art is also represented in the Albuquerque International Sunport’s collection listings, including two large pastels on board.
In My Travels, the range of oil and pastel invites a closer look at how those interests take shape. Notice how a broad landscape can hold a small human gesture, or how a closely observed figure can fill a composition. Each work offers its own pace and point of entry into the exhibition.
Eight paintings to explore
The following paintings are featured in our exhibition invitation. Click an image or its purchase button to open the individual artwork page for current pricing, availability, and online checkout. Measurements below are in inches.
In the Footsteps of Dawn
30 × 40 inches · Oil on canvas
A shepherd holding a long staff stands before a tightly gathered flock, with low buildings and a broad, rugged ridge behind. Light catches the pale skirt and the sheep’s faces, while dark earth and distant rock give this quiet encounter a strong sense of scale.
Shimmered Reflections
24 × 36 inches · Oil on canvas
A line of riders follows a narrow grassy bank, their horses mirrored in the water below. A cool band of blue separates them from dark, rolling hills. Small passages of sunlight on clothing, grass, and horses animate a composition built around repeated silhouettes and reflections.
Spinning Wheel
24 × 30 inches · Oil on canvas
A seated spinner lifts a pale bundle of fiber above a wooden wheel, drawing the eye upward through the picture. Sunlight picks out the working hands, rough timber, and stone walls, while dark trees and a distant slope place this intimate task within a larger landscape.
Flowing Rice
22 × 30 inches · Oil on canvas
A stream of grain falls from a wide woven tray against a clear blue sky. The diagonal sweep of the basket balances the figure’s red head covering and yellow sleeves, giving a close view of an everyday task the energy of a larger scene.
Sea of Tea
24 × 36 inches · Oil on canvas
A tea picker reaches across dense green shrubs, her red sleeve and pale carrying cloth standing out among the leaves. Behind her, cultivated rows rise along a rolling hillside. Baker connects the small movement of a working hand to the broad patterns of the landscape.
Nepal Wood
12 × 16 inches · Pastel on paper
This pastel brings the viewer close to a figure carrying a bundled load of wood. A patterned head covering, red beads, and hands braced beside the face create a dense arrangement of color and texture, while the surrounding greens keep attention on the figure’s profile.
Ixil Goods
24 × 30 inches · Oil on canvas
A large bundle balanced overhead and a blue basket held below frame the figure. A striped scarf adds bright accents against a golden wall, while a sharply cast shadow repeats the outline of the load, turning a close view of carrying goods into a bold composition.
Lines in the Sand
48 × 49 inches · Oil on canvas
Closely grouped figures sit against a brick wall, their pale garments catching the sunlight. Red head coverings, upright staffs, and overlapping folds create a steady visual rhythm. Baker gives each face individual attention within a gathering held together by the contrast of bright cloth and deep shadow.
Meet Bill Baker on Canyon Road
We invite you to spend time with these paintings in person and join us for the artist reception on Friday, November 20, from 5–7 p.m. The full exhibition is on view November 16–30, 2026, at Acosta Strong Fine Art, 200 Canyon Road, Santa Fe.
Browse the collection online before your visit, return to a favorite work afterward, or contact the gallery for additional photographs and help choosing a painting. Call 505-982-2795 or contact Acosta Strong Fine Art. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing the people and places of Bill Baker’s travels.
