Today we’d like to introduce you to Eleanor Baker
Hi Eleanor, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
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. 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.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s mostly been a smooth road, thankfully. Any struggles along the way have been related to figuring out my process and making mistakes. For example, I used to photograph my work to make prints, but the colors would always come out distorted and I’d get customer complaints that the image was blurry. I now outsource that process to a local photographer and am happy to pay for her skill. After a couple of years of running this business, I’ve found the most success by focusing on making art — and hiring other professionals to help with the rest.
Otherwise, just finding the time and balance of being an artist, small business owner, wife, and mom is tricky. For a while I was getting up really early to work before my kids were awake or I’d stay up late answering emails, building a website, researching marketing, etc. That was fine for a little while and helped me gain momentum with my print sales, but now I want to spend more time just creating or being with my family. My kids are so little now and I know they’ll soon be in school and I’ll have lots of time then to do business stuff.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I paint original artworks using acrylic, vintage photos, raw canvas and other mixed media. Once I finish a piece, I have it professionally photographed and then sell prints on Etsy and my website.
My most popular work/prints are Austin spots, like Barton Springs, Congress Ave, etc. I also made a couple of prints featuring Topo Chico and wildflowers and tacos, and those have done well.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’m selling something to customers that I hope will bring them joy and be treasured. So many customers have contacted me sharing their memories of the places I paint or how they feel when they see my work, and that is rewarding and flattering.
I think what sets my work apart from others is that I’m not trying to create perfect pieces — I don’t want my paintings to be hyper-detailed, I want them to make the viewer feel a little playful. I like big blocks of color, movement in the grass, exaggerated puffy clouds and more.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If you can get by without them, I’d recommend NOT doing commissions or custom pieces for as long as possible. I did a few in my early stages and they stressed me out and I didn’t feel like I was being true to my creative process or that I had the freedom to experiment and make mistakes. Sure, yes, they can be a great way to make money, so I don’t want to say never do them, but if you can just create what you like and want in your house, etc., there’s probably somebody out there who will see the beauty and value of your personal work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elbakerart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elbakerart/
- Other: https://elbakerart.etsy.com
