ABOUT

Anne Winstanley Wood
I now live in the Surrey Hills but grew up in a northern mill town with the moors and stone walls of the Dales, Brontë Country and Pendle Hill right on my doorstep. My natural desire to place some sort of man-made structure in my landscapes stems from those early years where mill chimneys and slate roofs nestled perfectly among the wild hills. As houses, farms, barns and dry stone walls emerge from colours and textures, I can reconnect with my northern roots and heritage.

"That love of the dramatic beauty and majestic landscape of my northern roots is present in my work."

My dad ran the local art shop which was like an Aladdin's cave for me and sparked my interest in art and as an only child I drew Disney characters. After graduating in Fine Art in 1984 at the University of Reading I pursued a career in music and performing arts education, completing an MEd in Creative Arts at the University of Exeter. Visual, auditory and kinaesthetic communication and expression have defined me as an artist, a teacher and a person throughout my life. I feel that a sense of ‘theatre’ or drama in my work originates from my days as a young dancer and pianist and later on as a performing arts teacher and choral singer. After retiring from my last post as music teacher in an International School I have been able to devote all my energies to my own art.

Over the years my work has been exhibited, commissioned and bought by collectors in the UK and USA and has been featured in “House and Garden”. I participate in Surrey Artists' Open Studios, AppArt, High Clandon Vineyard's Art and Sculpture Event, am a member of Ginger Cactus Art , AGASP and exhibition organiser of Leatherhead Art Club.

This winter my work can be seen at The Frame Shed, Ripley, Horsham Museum's Winter Show and in "The Pull of the Land" which celebrates British landscapes alongside four abstract artists at The Lightbox, Woking.