There is something magical about the ocean. The constant movement and change, with rolling waves and rise and fall of the daily tides, the sound of the ocean, the smell of the water. Ann paints the land, sea and sky in oils on both large and small canvases, focussing on the state of the tide and weathers at various times of day and year, inspired by painting on the beach, sketches, photos and just being there. Ann draws her inspiration from the coasts of Kent and Cornwall; many paintings are inspired by the beaches in Whitstable. Ann has lived in Rochester for nearly 40 years and has been painting for 17 years.
She developed her reputation as a plein air painter, standing on the beach in Whitstable. Ann now works primarily from her Garden Studio where her memories play an important part in working up a painting; the palette knife takes over, carefully placing the colours juxtaposed with each other resulting in a more abstract form of the subject.
Ann uses line, brush and palette knife often producing highly textural work. She is best known for her seascapes, but is now gaining recognition for her modern landscapes. Ann has been painting on the Kent Coast for some years, standing on the pebbly beach watching the tide ebb and flow, the morning mist across the Swale, the light on the horizon, the clouds coming in from the west over London, and the light out to sea to the north and east. The low tide exposes sandbanks, pebbles, seafood for the gulls to seek.
Her work is inspired by her experience standing in the seashore and the fields immersing herself in the environment, getting to know the landscape, the colours. Sketching and plein air painting are an essential part of her process.
Ann also exhibits at the Show Off Pop Up Gallery, Westgate Galleria and Eclectic Gallery in Margate, the Halpern Galleries in Rochester and Chatham where Ann is a resident Artist, and in the Drawing Rooms in West Malling. You will also find Ann in the Art Fair in Rochester and Bath, and at the Under the Rainbow Pop Up Gallery in Bluewater.
Exhibitor Information
