This is a show of Big Work that ranges from abstract to impressionistic. My background as a painter started after I graduated from VCU. I did not study painting there; I began as a plein air painter when I was in my 30s; I am now 72 years old. Painting small, 8 x 10″ plein air paintings was my primary source of artistic expression for many years.
Rebellion was bound to occur and that lead to my cobbling together small canvases to create a large canvas. My first rebellious painting of that type was an abstract called “Lust” which I created in an alley in the Fan District in Richmond, VA. It was done using alkyd (quick drying oil) paints. It was my therapeutic effort to get rid of any remaining feelings about a dysfunctional relationship when I was young. We both wasted too much time on it. This was an effort to purge any emotions from that misspent time and effort.
About a year ago I transitioned from using oil-based paint to using acrylic paint. The “Italian Mist” painting was simply my reaction to a beautiful photo I saw in a travel magazine. This painting is my reaction to the photograph and is approximately 3 x 4′.
The “Hermitage Nymph” is a painting of a piece of sculpture from the garden at the Hermitage Museum in Norfolk. Artistic latitude caused me to add flowers on her right side. She is approximately 30 x 20″.
“Night Sail” is a reflection of my being seduced by color. Yes, I love color. I would love to find a homeowner who shared this love of color and could see this in their living room or bedroom. This acrylic painting is approximately 3 x 4′.
Over the years of painting the tendency is to paint en plein air in order to experience the sunshine and the events happening on site. People constantly come to peek at the creative process. I enjoy these interactions. My thing is to encourage others to have the courage to paint. Like anything else, practice makes better. There is no such thing as “perfect”. We can try for perfect, and we can do our best.
ARTIST BIO::
Four decades ago I had just received my first plein air setup. It was a French easel. I was up in Gloucester, MA, which had once been a huge plein air artist hub back in the last century. I visited the plein air museum (in Rockport). I stood on a hill and struggled with my new plein air easel and became frustrated. Eventually I was able to get it functional and I set up my canvas and started to paint. It was humiliating at first. I fell into the trap of feeling that my worth as a person was tied to my ability to generate a plein air masterpiece. If there was no masterpiece then I felt worthless.
That was quite a silly way to feel. I realized it is totally ridiculous for us to base our self-esteem on whether we create a perfect masterpiece. Each of us matters because we are each here with our own distinct purpose and mission. We all belong and are loved. We all matter.
I had started to paint on a hill in Gloucester, and you will never guess who had to show up to witness my feeling of humiliation. It was the new editor of Plein Air Magazine! This nice guy, the late Steve Daughtery, came up the hill and asked to see my painting. It was my very first plein air painting and I was embarrassed. I didn’t know what I was doing. It was trial by fire.
When new artists ask me for advice I tell them this: You matter, regardless of what you produce. You are here with your own mission to fulfill and you know who you are. You are loved, you matter, and you belong, irrespective of what you create. Do not judge yourself when you are painting. Never compare yourself to anyone else. Simply keep on painting. Never imagine that you must create a masterpiece with every painting. Simply do your best. When you are finished, you can decide if it is a masterpiece or a messterpiece. Give yourself the gift of patience. If it is a messterpiece, laugh at it and set it aside to rescue or paint over later. Messterpieces teach us a lot! They hone our discernment. Remember that no-one is perfect.
Anne M. Wrinn C. HYP is a Rapid Transformational Therapist who helps professional women and veterans to process trauma and release anxiety.
Recently transplanted to Norfolk, living just north of Elation, and painting in plein air in parks and gardens around NFK!
To see more, check out the artist’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/amwrinn
To purchase, contact the artist directly by phone :: 804-804-7476
