Ann’s working life was a life of fashion, texture and colour. She owned and ran 10 fashion outlets in the main towns of South Australia. This is where her appreciation for colours and textures grew.
Ann began painting with a group of hobby painters in Goolwa. She hung her first paintings in 2011 in the Alexandrina Art Show, where she went on to win first prize for a painting that was later acquired by the Alexandrina Council.
Ann went on to study drawing and painting at the Adelaide Central School of Art for two years in 2015 and 2016. She also spent some time painting with the artist Louise Feneley in 2017, through whom she learned that all paintings are a collection of abstract shapes. In 2018, Ann completed an online course with Nicholas Wilton called Art2Life, which she considers a life/art changing decision.
Ann now paints in her studio, which is a converted garage. It is less space than she would like, but she has fun painting, and it’s something that she looks forward to doing every day. Ann explains that when she paints she does it intuitively, responding to the last mark or colour she makes. Most of her paintings comprise of multiple layers of paint, which she feels gives them history and texture. She scribbles, draws, uses pencils, pens, pastels, collage and paint on all layers. The painting tells her when it is finished.
Ann considers her paintings a reflection of her and her soul. If she didn’t paint, these paintings would not be here for the viewer to enjoy. They are her gift to the viewer.