Multi-faceted artist to be featured at Seabrook Island Artists Guild reunion on November 16

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By Seabrook Island Artist Guild for The Island Connection

Anne Watcher
Location: La Maison du Lac
Time: 1:30 p.m.

Ann Watcher explores a wide range of subjects in her art, believing that it is not the subject that defines her art but its expression, the play of light, active compositions and bold color choices. She mixes an impressionist approach with touches of abstraction. By painting figuratively, Ann seeks to capture the essence of the person through expression, posture and setting. When painting landscapes, Watcher often develops the painting through multiple layers, starting with a gestural, wet-on-wet approach and adding layers through techniques such as dry brushing and scraping. Composition and ambiance, like the soft light at the end of the day, inform her work as she tries to create a visual experience for the viewer. “I paint in a modern way, always seeking to give my art a different interpretation; I approach my subject looking for unusual angles and lights as well as other details that the average passer-by could easily overlook. Watcher points to master painters Henri Matisse and Pierre Bonnard as sources of inspiration for her artistic style, also acknowledging Mary Cassatt and the influence Cassatt’s work had on Ann’s personal approach to her portraits of children. . His creative process is fluid; as the artist explains, “I rarely know what each of my paintings will look like until I have completed each individual piece.” This organic approach to canvas allows Watcher to simultaneously appreciate the inherent qualities of the medium she has chosen while remaining free to adapt her technique in order to truly capture her subject without being hampered by preconceived designs.

Working primarily in oils, Ann prepares the canvas by first painting a layer of scrub, then adding layers to create the final image. To complement her paintings, she uses thin coats of glaze or, if a more textured surface is desired, Watcher applies cold wax, a medium that can literally be scraped off, giving Watcher the ability to further build up the layers that make up her. works. .

Watcher credits growing up in a small southern town as the main influence on his subject. During her childhood, she was fascinated by abandoned buildings and the sense of isolation, nostalgia and personal connection she felt when she discovered places that time seemed to have forgotten. Farms, barns, stables and other ancient structures are important elements of his landscape works. Watcher’s attraction to the “age of places” makes Tuscany, with its rich history, a natural destination for canvas exploration. The artist highlights the similarities between the Carolinas and the Tuscan region, which both share strong agrarian roots. Instinctively drawn to the beautiful lush foliage of olive trees, the artist observes the historical significance of these trees, which have provided the world with olive oil, a precious resource, for thousands of years. Watcher explains: “I love to paint something that has provided civilization with something so essential and timeless. I like to create images that anchor me in the past, wherever I am. Watcher received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of South Carolina. During her stay, she interned at the Corcoran Museum of Art in Washington, DC and also studied at the New York Studio School. Most recently, Watcher studied with nationally renowned artist Andrew Braitman in Charlotte. In 2015, her painting “Channeling Edith Wharton” was selected “Best of Show” at the Art League of Hilton Head Biennale National Juried Show. Watcher is honored that Art in Embassies, a division of the United States Department of State, has contacted her to loan her two paintings for an exhibition on southern women artists at the residence of the United States Ambassador to Bahrain.

Additionally, several of her paintings have been selected for national exhibitions, including Women Painters of the Southeast Annual Members Show, American Women Artists Online National Juried Show, and Carolina’s Got Art! Living room Living room. His painting “Greenville Road in Blue” was commissioned by the Duke University Medical Pavilion in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Showtime’s “Homeland” chose two of Watcher’s paintings to use in the third season.

Back in his native south, Watcher lives and has a studio in Matthews, North Carolina.

Watcher constantly travels through the Carolinas, often painting outdoors. Watcher will be doing a figurative painting demonstration at our November meeting.

For more information on events, workshops and Guild members, visit seabrookislandartistguild.com.


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