Lorie Baxter is an abstract painter whose work explores the balance between structure and spontaneity through a process of layering, reduction, and rediscovery. Her paintings often begin in pure abstraction, gradually revealing subtle suggestions of landscape — echoes of the hills of Eastern Oregon and the shifting presence of the ocean. Working on metal, canvas, and paper, Baxter primarily uses oil enamel, building surfaces through a combination of transparent glazes and dense, opaque passages of paint. She creates depth by allowing underlying layers to remain visible, forming quiet windows into the history of the piece. The tension between thick and thin, control and chance, is central to her process. Her approach is intuitive and physical. Paint is applied, scraped away, and reapplied in a rhythmic cycle that becomes almost meditative. Drips, marks, and spontaneous gestures are not corrected but embraced, allowing each work to evolve naturally. Over time, order emerges from what initially feels like chaos — a visual resolution that signals completion. Though largely self-taught, Baxter committed fully to her studio practice in 2002, bringing decades of observation and experimentation into a focused body of work. Her paintings reflect both influence and independence, drawing inspiration from artists such as Gerhard Richter, James Lavadour, Ellsworth Kelly, Donald Judd, and Barnett Newman, while maintaining a distinctly personal voice. In recent years, she has expanded her practice into printmaking, working with Master Printer Frank Janzen at Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts. This exploration continues her interest in layering, process, and the unexpected. Baxter’s work invites a quiet engagement — a slowing down — where viewers can experience the interplay of surface, depth, and movement, and find their own sense of balance within the composition.