In Conversation with Annie | Life as an Artist
We love the community on Instagram and we also love the creatives that we find. One of these creatives is the wonderful Annie. Annie creates beautiful prints and cards decorated with nature and flowers. To find out more about her work, and her life as an artist we spoke to Annie…
When and why did you start Annie’s Little Art Room ?
I first started Annie’s Little Art Room as an Instagram account. A place where I was able to showcase my art work. After people asking if it was possible to purchase my work I then started selling through Instagram.As I gained more confidence I then decided to take the “Bull by the horns” and open an Etsy Store in terms Spring of 2017, so it’s still early days yet so to speak.How long have you been painting for?
As a small child I loved to paint. I can still remember my parents giving me an art easel one Christmas and I just loved it !So basically I have painted most of my life. I originally wanted to make art and design my career but as happens my working life took a different path. However in 2014 I was so lucky to be able to finish work and saw it as an oportunity to finally do something I’d always wanted to do – design and sell cards and paintings.My favourite medium to paint in is Watercolour. I must admit it can be rather unforgiving but I love the fact that it is good when painting delicate flowers or can be layered for a more intense colour.Where do you get your inspiration from?
My favourite subjects to paint are flora and fauna. I just love the countryside, though I’m afraid I don’t live there, however a short trip in my car and I can soon be surrounded by hedgerows, trees, fields and forests.I also love anything connected to New England, so when I first started designing cards I did a New England series of clapboard cottages and coastal scenes.To be honest I get inspiration from all over the place ! Even Instagram! Last year I produced a set of cards inspired by a lovely lady who lives in Rome with an amazing garden growing almost all her own veggies, flowers, fruit etc and a fantastic cook and baker.
A Personal Favourite
Most people who know me know I love Autumn, it’s my favourite season and time of year (apart from Christmas of course !) so my favourite painting is the “Autumn Treasures” painting which I was lucky enough to sell last year. Though I will be selling prints of in the form of cards this Autumn on Etsy.
We love the name “Annie’s Little Art Room” how did you come up with the name and where is it from.
I came up with the name of “Annie’s Little Art Room ” as it was the name of my Instagram Account – the room is little and also I’m not very tall……so “little” seemed to fit quite well !
“Annie’s Little Art Room” is basically our spare bedroom which we decided to turn into a creative space for me to work/ relax in (though most of the relaxing is done by my two kitties Boris and Bella – they love sleeping on the cosy day in there!).
I’m based in the North West in the Red Rose county of Lancashire ! Within easy reach of the beautiful wild areas of the Trough of Bowland and about 90 minutes up the motorway to the magnificent Lake District.
Can you tell us a little more about yourself and what you do when you are not painting?
I live with my husband and two kitties mentioned above. As well as a passion for art and design I love interiors and must admit do love to sit with a coffee and day dream while looking at Interior magazines ! (Who doesn’t? )
I also love to bake (read that as love to eat cake, as does my husband!) though it’s not to good for my waistline !Dare I also mention I am rather addicted to Instagram, though without discovering the app (which is all down to going to a Nigella Book signing!) there would be no Annie’s Little Art Room! (Who said social media was bad !?)
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to learn to paint?
I would say just go and buy yourself a little travel pack of water colour paints (I use a mini travel set which I can take anywhere with me) and just draw and paint anything that catches your eye. It’s basically practice and also just enjoy yourself!
Having said that, when I finished work prior to starting Annie’s Little Art Room I enrolled on a Watercolour painting course – it had been some time since I had picked up a paint brush, so to build my confidence I felt a little ” refresher” course was required.
Painting is both fun and relaxing…..which cannot be a bad thing !
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!