Questions and Answers III

More questions, this time by Lennox from Northern Ireland:

Feather

Q: I was wondering about your background, when you decided you wanted to be an artist, where you studied (if you studied)?
Anne: Like so many children I loved to draw and paint, but I don't think it was any different that other kids. By the time I was 15 my interest in art began to mature and painting and looking at art became more than a 'fun' thing to do. Having an impossibly hard time in high-school I took an exchange year to study English (in Kent) and French (in Paris) - returning back to high school to complete my 'Abitur' (A-levels, leaving cert, highschool diploma), with a bit of an attitude. This saw me fail my two main subjects, English and Art. Undeterred, I applied to art colleges in Scotland and Irland and studied Fine Art at the Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design - graduating with distinction.

Allure

Q: Other than your work based on landscapes what other themes have you studied?
Anne: Landscape are a broad subject and I believe that in some way or another all my work is related to landscape. Even the 'plants' and 'landscapes of the human mind' series.
Q: Where/when did you develop your style?
Anne: Well, over time. And I'm still at it!
Q: Before you produce a piece of work is the a routine you go through?

Red Baron

Anne: Usually yes, but not always. I like to work in series. Typically, this includes some brainstorming in the early stages in choosing a theme, then a research period, where I read about the theme, and often travel and take photos and drawings. Then I develop studies on paper and finally progress to canvas or panel. But this 'routine' is regularily disrupted or changed.
Q: If you work from first hand or photographs?
Anne: I don't usually work from life, but as mentioned above, take photos and sketches from life. But life drawing is still one of the methods of bringing focus to my work.

NoWater

Q: How do you see your work developing in the future?
Anne: I'm afraid I don't have an answer for this question... my current intests include mathematical algorythmes turned visuals, but I'm not sure if I will ever weave that into my work, and if so how.
Q: How do you select your compositions, do you look for certain colours/lighting?
Anne: I work from the 'gut'. Although I research my 'subject matter' I do not have a set visual idea, this develops as the paintings begin to emerge from the canvas.
Q: What is your prefered media, and why?

# 9

Anne: I love 'grungy' materials that are tactile and allow me to create images that work on more levels than one. Unfortunately I know that a lot of my favorites are also not durable, as is the case for Bitumen. Another medium I regularly use for it's abilty to create texture and luminance, is wax. Fortunately wax is very durable.
Q: Would you be able to describe the tecniques you use and how you apply your media?
Anne: Scraping, scratching, brushing, molding with my hands, blowing, melting, fusing.... too many to go into in detail.
Q: What do you look for when choosing to paint a landscape scene?
Anne: Well, again this comes from the gut - the scene has to speak to me in some way. Often, it's that I can visualize it abstracted and pulled apart. But in general, the scenes that 'speak' to me are barren, desolate, unfriendly places.
Q: Do you have any historical influences?

Venus

Anne: Not sure what you mean here. Artists that have influenced me are Rothko, Tapies, Turner, Goldsworthy, Richter and many more.
Q: Do you have any contemporary influences?
Anne: Artists that have influenced me are Rothko, Tapies, Turner, Goldsworthy, Richter and many more.
Q: What is your most successful/favourite piece to date?  
Anne: Hard to say - it's like choosing a favorite child... but there are some I prefer to others. Some of my favorites are listed on the left.