Nurture - the process of caring for and encouraging the growth or development of someone or something
Why I Feel the Need to Create
Making art, creative expression is something that I have always done for as long as I can remember. There have been periods in my life when I haven't made art or made time to be creative, and those are the times when I feel anxious, dissatisfied, disconnected. It is only when I return to making art, finding time to paint and draw, that I feel grounded, and at peace, and above all my authentic self. So I need to make art for my personal well being. The fact that making art brings a little joy and beauty into the world and peoples lives is hugely rewarding. How Our Salon Nurtures Me
A creative life can be lonely. While I need solitude to create, I often crave a support system of other creatives and a sense of community. Having worked for many years in business, I miss working as part of a team. Every individual has different strengths and weaknesses, so as a collective, a team is a stonger unit. Within that team individuals learn and grow from each other in a wide variety of ways, from very practical hands on experience to observing the evolution of each others journey,:the successes, challenges, twists and turns. In a team and in our Nurture salon, I enjoy bouncing ideas off one another, building momentum on individual and group projects, duscussion and resolution of issues and just knowing I can rely on the support of one another. Having moved to this area a few years ago,I had to build a new community of friends and artists, and I am thankful to have found this wonderful group of women. More About Annie
Annie is a British painter and printmaker. She moved to New York City in 1989 and worked at the British Consulate. Art remained a part of her life during those years, but in 2006 she left and begin a new chapter, returning to a life with art at the very center and enrolled in an MFA program at the The New York Academy of Art. This provided the instruction, immersion and creative freedom to develop her skills and artistic voice and proved to be a fruitful time bringing with it several awards including a Post-graduate Fellowship, Prince of Wales Scholarships, and travel awards to Normandy, France and St Barts, in the French West Indies. After the fellowship Annie left New York for the East End of Long Island and spent two wonderful years in the quiet hamlet of Orient, as Artist-in-Residence at the William Steeple Davis House. It was here that Annie met and became a studio assistant to Master Printmaker Dan Welden and continues to assist him at workshops in the North East, including Haystack School of Crafts in Maine, Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and Montserrat College of Fine Arts. In 2011 Annie left the East End of LI and moved to Mystic Ct, where she maintains a studio at The Velvet Mill, in Stonington Ct. Annie’s work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, venues include: The National Museum of China: The Mall Galleries, London, UK; The Heckscher Museum, NY, and The University of Connecticut. Her work is included in The Drawing Center’s Viewing Program and can also be found in the book: Drawing Space, Form and Expression by Enstice, Wayne and Melody Peters. |
Creative StatementThe rhythm of the waves marks time, like the breath. Moment to moment, its intensity fluctuates like emotion. Thoughts linger and pass, like a veil of fog.
I look outward to my environment to find resonances that reflect my inner emotional states. At the shore I am reminded to be present. It provides a place for contemplation and reflection. I identify with the strength and vulnerability of the ocean when a storm is brewing or passing, when the surf is up, when the fog looms or is lifting, when the horizon is obscured. I find beauty in these moody days. I bring this experience into the studio as I interpret the smells, sounds, feelings, and energy of the water or the quiet movement of fog. The process is fluid, moving between freedom and control, accident and intention, as I push and pull the paint to convey and realize my visual and emotional experiences. recent work"Many of my large scale paintings are created in the studio. I work from a lot of reference photos as a starting point and draw on my experience and stored memory from plein air painting. I have an idea of composition when I begin a painting, but I allow myself the freedom to let the painting evolve somewhat intuitively during the process". |
SurfaceIn my process, the surface of a painting and the quality and variety of mark making is important. I find ways to convey the energy and motion of my subject, while also creating a compelling and dynamic surface. There is a sort of tension, a push and pull between representation and abstraction. |
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