News: Out-of-State Member
Celebrating Artist Member: Ann Larsen
For our inaugural post for the Out-of-State Member Chapter, we would like to highlight the work of Ann Larsen. We asked her about her interest in traditional fine art and how the past several months affected her work. Thank you, Ann, for being a member and for this insight into your work!
Why do you paint traditional final art?
Although my images are representational, I see them as abstracts of whatever subject I am drawn to. I love pure abstraction, but also think something is lacking in a lot of that imagery. I am excited by all the wealth of information that landscape holds as well as the structural component of still life. Everyday is the start of an exploration of images, color relationships and how light creates form.
How has my work shifted in the last several months?
I am usually traveling and painting most of the year, except for the winter months when I spend more time working in my studies in the studio to supply my galleries. So, not being able to travel these last few months has given me more time to create lots of new work. I am excited to see how my paintings are evolving in design and color harmony. Having the time to reflect on where I really want to take my work has been wonderful!
Share a current work of yours and let us know what it means to you.
Painting selected: Built to Last, 16×20 , in Oil
This painting is done from studies at the Essex Shipbuilding Museum in Essex, Massachusetts, and is of one of my favorite places to paint. There are so many old boats, tools, and buildings to keep me in material for years. Things change season to season. One of my favorite times to paint there is in January when there is snow. Incredibly beautiful time of year. This piece would be the transition from spring to summer.
Bio:
Ann is an award winning artist living in upstate New York’s Adirondack Mountains. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, Ann began traveling and living throughout the United States at the age of 18. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Central Oklahoma, she and her family moved to Denver, CO where Ann began to focus on her painting and fell in love with the western landscape. Even though she lives in a beautiful part of the country, where plein air painting is a challenge almost any time of year, Ann also spends time painting on the coast of Maine and throughout the Southwest.
Ann’s approach to the landscape is to simplify as much as possible in order to create the strongest paintings. “I want my viewers to know how I felt about a place when I painted it. I’m not trying to copy what I see nor am I interested in lots of detail. I want to suggest a subject with the buildup of paint and exciting brushstrokes.”
For more information on her work, please go to her website: https://www.annlarsen.com/
