In the quiet bushland of Mundaring, Western Australia, lives a remarkable artist whose work is as layered and luminous as her life story. Ericka Baker’s latest painting – nine months in the making – has already won a position in the International Arts Award Book and the 101 Artbooks Landscape edition while Ericka herself has been submitted for an Emerging Artist Award.
A childhood etched in colour
Born in Wyallah and raised in Adelaide, Ericka moved to Tom Price in the Pilbara at age three. Ericka has been vision impaired since birth, caused by congenital nystagmus after her mother contracted German measles during pregnancy. She now has less than 4% vision in one eye and just over 4% in the other. As a child unable to see the blackboard clearly, she often drifted into her imagination, doodling and dreaming of the vibrant red earth and deep freshwater pools of Karijini National Park.
“My dad used to take us kids on family trips to Karijini. It was a beautiful land full of stark colours and risks, but he never treated me differently. I learnt to find my way around independently, and that freedom shaped me,” Ericka recalls. “I’d collect stones and crush them to make paint. I wanted to capture the earth’s rich reds, earthy browns, and that deep, sacred blue of the water.”
Finding her way through art
Determined to pursue education despite the challenges of living in a remote community, Ericka completed Years 11 and 12 by correspondence. She knew the mining industry wasn’t an option due to her eyesight, and she longed for a more intellectual path. After moving with her parents to Capel, Ericka faced social isolation and limited employment opportunities, but her passion for art never faded.
In 1993, she completed an Advanced Certificate in Art and Design through TAFE. Around this time, she met her husband Stephen, who instantly recognised her talent. “Stephen believed in me more than I believed in myself,” she says. “He secretly enrolled me in an art course at Edith Cowan University, and I only found out when I got an interview invitation. I was stunned.”
With the support of the Sue Knox Scholarship and a dedicated reader to dictate the course work, Ericka graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, majoring in Printmaking. She later completed a Diploma of Photography in 2017 and studied Drawing Nature, Science and Culture. Inspired by the Impressionists like Monet, especially his works from his years experiencing cataracts, Ericka developed a style that blends memory, emotion, and sensory experience.
“I love how Monet painted light and colour when his vision was failing. It resonates with me. I paint what I feel, not just what I see.”
Painting through pain and memory
Ericka’s creative process is deeply physical and emotional. Her eyesight causes fatigue and frequent migraines – some lasting up to 11 days. But rather than letting the pain stop her, Ericka channels it into her art.
“I paint my migraines as I feel them. The aura of colour, the distortion – it’s all there on the canvas. It helps me recover. It’s like I’m releasing the pain.”
Using magnifying glasses with built-in lights, she works close to the canvas, building intricate landscapes from memory. Her latest piece, a painting of Fern Pool in Karijini National Park, is a tribute to her late husband Stephen, who passed away in 2021.
“Stephen loved Karijini as much as I did. This painting is for him. It’s where we felt most connected to each other and to the land.”
Ericka’s work is more than visual – it’s tactile and inclusive. She incorporates braille into her paintings, creating a shared experience for people with sight, low vision, or no vision.
“I want people to feel the story, not just see it. Braille lets me share my world with others from a tactile perspective. One day I’d love to create a dark room filled with paintings where the braille lights up when touched – bringing accessibility and emotion together.”
A career of creativity and advocacy
Encouraged by her husband to pursue art full time, Ericka’s first exhibition, From the East to the West, was held in Bowral, NSW in 2018. She later partnered with Willow Industries to paint cricket bats and skateboards, auctioning them to support children with autism. Her solo exhibition Secrets of Gold debuted in 2021, and she’s been a finalist in the Bluethumb Landscape Award.
In 2024, her work featured in the AccessAbility Exhibition at the Red Earth Arts Precinct in Karratha. She’s also been selected for the Arts to Heart Projects, supporting women in the arts, and will be featured in the International Artist Award Book, as well as the 101 Artbook: Landscape Edition, and has been entered into the 100 Emerging Artworks of 2025, with results expected later this year.
“As an artist inspired by the rugged beauty of the Pilbara landscape, I explore themes of resilience, fragility and isolation in my work. My experiences with disability have deeply influenced my art and I aim to promote great inclusion through my unique perspective. By incorporating braille into my paintings, I invite viewers to engage with my work on multiple levels, fostering a deeper connection and appreciation for the complexities of the human experience.”
Support from VisAbility
After Stephen’s passing, Ericka turned to VisAbility to help regain her independence. With support from Occupational Therapist Rachel, she’s been equipped with assistive technology that’s transformed her daily life.
“I have apps on my iPad and phone that help me enlarge text and read labels. My Onyx OCR machine is a game-changer. Now I can read books, letters, bills, and make them big enough to see without magnifying glasses.”
Mobility training with a white cane has been life-changing. “I used to walk staring at the ground to avoid hazards. Now I can walk looking ahead. It seems a small change but it’s saved my neck from a lot of pain and discomfort.”
She’s also exploring Ray-Ban smart glasses with AI assistance and has begun learning braille with support from VisAbility’s team. “Joseph from the Client Experience Team is helping me to access braille classes with Manny. I’m excited to add it to my art in new ways.”
A vision impaired artist leading with heart
Ericka Baker is not just a vision impaired artist – she’s a visionary. Her work speaks to the soul, drawing viewers into the landscapes of her memory and the emotions of her lived experience. Through innovation, resilience, and a deep love for the Pilbara, she’s creating art that’s inclusive, meaningful, and unforgettable. It’s no surprise she’s taking out countless awards in the process!
“Art is my voice. It’s how I connect, how I heal, and how I honour the people and places that shaped me.”
You can view Ericka’s art on her Instagram accounts @Sunspurstudio and @Wild_beautiful_insanity
To learn more about how VisAbility supports vision impaired individuals across Western Australia, visit www.visability.com.au.
Notes from chat with Ericka:
Client Ericka Baker – now based in Mundaring
Took about 9 months to complete the painting that has been entered for the award
Eyesight causes such strain that she is easily fatigued
Migraines are common, and she senses the aura of colour.
Paints the migraine as she feels it and it seems to help her recover from the migraine
Longest migraine was 11 days
Vision impaired from birth – her mum had German measles during childbirth which gave a congenital nystagmus. Now has less than 4% vision in one eye and just over 4% in the other.
Born in Wyallah and grew up in Adelaide.
Moved to Tom Price in the Pilbara at 3 years old. She wouldn’t be able to see the blackboards well and would drift off and find herself lost in her head and start doodling, dreaming of Karijini.
Year 11 and 12 by correspondence which was challenging as the teachers didn’t know what to do with her. She was very aware that she needed an education and to find something to do outside of Tom Price – as the local industry was mining and she wouldn’t past the medical with her eyesight. Initially was supported by a family friend into menial low paid work but she craved a more intellectual career.
After her parents moved down to Capel, which was more isolating than Tom Price. Without ways to find transport, or work, or make friends. Felt like
Completed a TAFE course in the south west. Advanced Cert if Art and Design, 1993.
Fortunately, Ericka met her husband Stephen around this time and he recognised and celebrated her talent for art. He was so impressed, he enrolled Ericka in ECU without her knowledge until she was invited to an interview at ECU one day. Sue Knox scholarship which supplied her with a reader, which was a person who would read the materials to her so that she could compile. Graduated 2008 with a Bachelor of Visual Arts, majoring in Print Making. Interested in Master of Art Therapy, but the course closed and there wasn’t another similar course in Perth.
2017 completed a diploma of photography. Also a drawing nature, science and culture – natural history.
Was very inspired by the Impressionists like Monet, especially painting the lights and colours like when he had cataracts.
She wears magnifying glasses with lights on them, head her close up to the canvas. Creating intricate and detailed paintings from up close, weaving together pieces to come together into a balanced landscape. Mostly painted by memory of Karijini and the Pilbara. Wants people to resonate with the soul of the painting, which was etched by the soul of Ericka and her connection with the Pilbara. Getting lost in the way that Ericka sees.
Ericka has incorporated braille into the painting to be able to share the experience with viewers, weaving a shared story for people with sight, low vision or no vision.
She would love to incorporate technology into the artwork in the future as well. Things like lighting the braille in specific areas, highlighting the themes or accessibility and inclusion. A dark room filled with paintings, with braille inlaid in the art. Perhaps the braille linked with lights, lighting up on touch.
Documentation and adapting new tools to create a compelling narrative of her artistic vision and inspiration. Showcasing the resourcefulness of her community. Thinking outside the box and leading to innovation.
Played basketball where people had to call her name before throwing the ball otherwise she’d be hit in the head.
Her dad took her and the family on trips to Karijini National Park and was enthralled by the contrasting colours, rich reds, rocky outlets, deep freshwater pools. It was high risk and could have fallen to injury or death at any time. Was treated like her siblings and was encouraged to find her way around independently rather than coddled. Had a lot of freedom to explore on bikes and. Was taught the basic survival techniques.
Art started in childhood during and after these trips. Embracing the colours and experiences she had on the trip and translated that onto the page. She would even collect stones and crush them up, adding water to create a paint to work with. Using materials from the earth to create the rich colours of her art. Second oldest historical place on earth which should be heritage listed.
Very protective of the Pilbara, it’s incredible history and the sadness of mining and it’s disruption to the environmental fragility of the earth and nature. The respect of this fragility is declining in the world around them. She incorporates that into her art.
Her husband Steven became terminally ill in 2020 and died in 2021. In 2021 Ericka came to VisAbility to try to re-enter the workforce.
No qualifies for a disability pension and support from NDIS. Has a life changing support worker to help through the week.
First exhibition was in 2018 From the East to the West, her first exhibition in Bowral NSW. Then, began her philanthropic partnership painting cricket bats and skateboards with Willow Industries, auctioning them off to raise money to support children with Autism. Followed on with exhibitions in 2019, 2020 and your first solo exhibition called Secrets of Gold in 2021. Also listed as a finalist in the blue thumb landscape award.
AccessAbility in Karratha, in the red earth arts precinct in 2024. Ploix gallery interview to check out.
After losing her husband, Ericka had to find her way back to painting again. Coming back to her art and what Stephen would have wanted her to do and returning with this painting of Fern Pool in Karijini, a place close to her and Stephen’s heart.
This award is the Arts to Heart Projects, about supporting women in the arts. Was awarded a position and is selected to be displayed in the International Arts Award Book. 101 Artbooks Landscape Edition.
Has entered for an emerging artist award and this will be closed later in the year.
Support from VisAbility:
OT Rachel has helped me with assisted technology in the home she has installed apps on my IPad a phone that help me enlarge text and read food labels or anything too small out in public and at home. I have a text to speech machine Onyx OCR where I can put text such as a book which I love love love and to read, letters, bills and enlarge them big enough to see without having to use magnifying glasses. I have had a cane fitted and training to use it around home, however, I do know my surroundings well that is why I wanted to stay here as I have lived here for 35 years now. I had training with the can in public areas and shopping centres. The cane has been invaluable as it has helped my mobility. I once had to walk always looking at the ground to try to spot potential hazards now I can walk normally looking ahead which saves my neck from pain and discomfort. I have just had a consultation in regard to Ray Ban glasses with assistance with AI to see what is around me for walking outside and InVusion. For now I chose Ray Ban glasses and am currently learning how to use them effectively . Lastly, I have asked if I can learn Braille which Joseph is arranging.
@Sunspurstudio
@Wild_beautiful_insanity
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