Bio

More About Ann

I like to paint with both watercolor and acrylic.  I love the watercolor medium for its play with water. I love water- as a kayaker, skier, scientist and artist- and am continually stopped in my tracks by the properties and beauty of water. To drop a couple of colors into a wet patch of paper and see what happens is so much fun. I also love the strong colors of more opaque paints, and that is what has pulled me to acrylic. The fact that it can be used in a wide range of ways, from watercolor-like to oil-like, appeals to me. I love painting abstractly with it.

I’ve always loved to draw and paint.  One of my lifelong quests has been to allow my true self to surface, and to connect in a meaningful way with others. Making art is a way to let that true person surface.

As a kid, I created funny, colorful monsters, and favored drawing rabbits and a sausage-shaped dog that I loved dearly. A large, papier mache giraffe won me my first art award when I was about ten. 

I moved to Colorado when in my teens, and happily embraced an adventuresome outdoor life, having the good fortune to live, work and play in the incredibly beautiful, natural environments of the West. 

My parents refused to pay for college art courses, because I “couldn’t do anything with it.” (She was a painter herself.) So I dabbled in various art forms, picking up classes here and there when I could. I picked up a career as a medical lab professional, and pursued several adventuresome sports in natural environments. I’ve always loved to move, to go fast, to explore, and be in the outdoors, yet always brought a drawing pad along.  

I didn’t really make the commitment to learn to be an artist until about fifteen years ago, when I finally realized that the ability doesn’t beam down like a bolt of lightning, but comes through practice and hard work. By then I was settled in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, with a small family. I read books, took classes and workshops in water media and drawing, and practiced, more and more as time went by. I wanted to keep away from the toxicity of oils, and keep it simple for painting outdoors. I loved the strong connection with my surroundings that I got from painting on location. I was still heavily involved with sports, being a parent, and having a job.

The teachers who have influenced me most are Stephen Quiller, Steve Aimone, and Bob Burridge. I admire their art, their openness and their adeptness in sharing what they have learned and figured out through years of work and study.