Anne Blair Brown was born in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, where she currently lives. Her work centers on intimate scenes inspired by local surroundings as well as travel in the United States and abroad. “My artwork starts in reality and evolves through my imagination,” she says. “As an impressionist, I believe in a painting process that enables me to tap into my creativity rather than trying to copy and perfect.”
Local Color, oil and acrylic, 30 x 36 in.
Brown’s goal is to invite the viewer to connect with her paintings, using their own imagination to complete the story.
“Impressionist painting is not about accuracy and depiction but is about expressing an emotion or capturing the essence of the subject with minimal detail,” says the artist. “Emotive brushwork and exciting color are my tools for this expression, rather than overwrought or ‘perfect’ drawing. An accidental brushstroke or lyrically crooked line can sometimes be what captures attention and makes a painting great.”
Brown likes to leave a little “air” between her brushstrokes, to create a sense of mystery that allows the viewer to make the painting their own. She also believes less is more and that, as with music, the power is often in the pause.
Neighborhood Light, oil, 10 x 10 in.
“I enjoy painting subjects reminiscent of comfort…a relaxing porch, landscapes with well-loved barns, streetscapes and depictions of historic neighborhoods, or still life or interior scenes with glowing light,” says Brown. “My goal is to create a peaceful sense of place that might harken to something familiar to you, or something exciting and new.”
During the creative process, Brown focuses on how she paints rather than what she paints to allow room for spontaneity. The end result is a painterly reflection that helps her make her mark while simultaneously inviting personal exploration.
Seaside Cottage, acrylic, 20 x 20 in.
“I delight when someone comments, ‘I always know your style when I see it…I know it’s you.’ That is thrilling to me on many levels, namely that I have brought something unique and non-formulaic to the party.
“George Inness once said, ‘The purpose of the painter is simply to reproduce in other minds the impression that a scene has made upon him. A work of art does not appeal to intellect. It does not appeal to a moral sense. Its aim is not to instruct, not to edify, but to awaken an emotion.’ Inness seems to be suggesting what I have long felt, that some of us prefer the kind of art that we feel in the gut, that draws you in and invites you to linger and ponder.”
Flower Power, acrylic, 36 x 36 in.
Brown is represented by Leiper’s Creek Gallery in Franklin, Tennessee; Meyer Vogl Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina; and Red Piano Gallery in Bluffton, Tennessee. —
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