Sea Stories

Being out on the water has always been a huge part of Jane Lawton Baldridge’s life, and it has inspired nearly everything she does. She has been on boats since she was a baby, raced sailboats since age 9, has delivered boats, worked in boatyards, and is a licensed captain.

She is also an entrepreneur, filmmaker and artist.

Baldridge and her husband lived in the Cape Fear area from 1988 until 2016. She raced Lightnings, J/24s and Sunfish out of Wrightsville Beach. In 2009, they moved onto their sailboat in Southport. They would sometimes compete in it, calling it “racing our house” or “racing with refrigerators.” They came ashore when they moved to Stuart, Florida, but being on the water is still an important part of her life. She recently completed an expedition in British Columbia.

long with sailing, Baldridge has been creating art for more than 45 years. She has painted in acrylic, oil and watercolor in addition to working with stained glass and ceramics.

“I seem to prefer water-based mediums, so more watercolors and water acrylics than anything else. That may be because of the whole water thing. It’s kind of my soul,” says Baldridge. “I consider my paintings my sea stories.”

She mostly works in acrylics, telling stories of perfect days out on the water or darker experiences. During COVID-19, she noticed that the darker stories started to present themselves more often in her paintings with depictions of storms, big waves, and challenges on the water. It was not intentional, but she has noticed that her art evolves based on what is happening in her life.   

Baldridge has also been focused on her Oceana Phenomena project with unique mixed media pieces. She uses repurposed mannequins and covers them in old navigation charts. She then paints water and waves up their bodies to bring awareness to sea level rise and the threats to the planet.

In 2022, her mannequins and paintings were on display at the Annapolis Maritime Museum, followed by a bigger exhibition at the Studios of Key West where she also incorporated a third medium — a film she created that was played on a loop.

She has learned that “different things inspire different people to respond,” so using all three types of art in one show can impact more people. Her film, Wisdom of the Waves, won Best Indie Narrative Short at the Cannes Film Festival.

Baldridge’s love for boating and painting have been identifiable since she was 13, but she believes that they have been with her since the very beginning. She continues to follow her passions, while also trying new things.

“I just keep reinventing myself,” she says.

She hopes her art can inspire others to appreciate the water and protect it.