About The Artist…
I am inspired by wide, open spaces such as the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and North York Moors. Characterised by layers of gorgeous colours, expressive mark making and rich texture, my mixed media paintings explore themes of time, identity and belonging, linking my northern roots with my present life in the Surrey Hills. My work blends playful imagination reminiscent of fairytales with a deeper reflection on our relationship with the natural world.
From initial sketches based on the landscape's lines, shapes and patterns, my abstracted compositions evolve through a layered process using acrylics, soft pastels, oil sticks, inks and collage which mirrors the passage of time and the imprint of human endeavours on the landscape. Rich, tactile surfaces evoke weathered rocks, ancient stone walls, and distant hills. Poetry and music often inform my practice with excerpts often embedded into paint to encourage a deepened emotional response to a place.
My whimsical, fairytale-like landscapes stem from fond childhood memories exploring hills, moors and becks surrounding my northern mill hometown. Then the landscape was my imaginative, storytelling world which years later has become reinterpreted through my uplifting, magical scenes of little houses and angular trees.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME:
I have always been involved in both visual and performing arts and after graduating in Fine Art in 1984 at the University of Reading I later completed an MEd in Creative Arts at Exeter University and pursued a career in music education. Since retiring from the classroom, I am now able to devote myself to developing my own art practice and creativity.
“Anne’s work is an ongoing exploration of memory, identity and landscape. By weaving together history and geology she creates paintings that capture the spirit of the land, inviting the viewer into a world where the past and present coexist.”
“Anne’s stories flow through her work, the eye travelling around the world she has created, up and down the rolling hills, the dry stone walls and around the bending lanes.”
“Reflections on the Past and Present” can be found on Emily’s website www.artistdiaries.co.uk - thoughtful conversations with the artist.
