Hello
I'm Annette Smart, a well-travelled artist now based in the lovely Scottish Borders.
Life is in turns either a multi-faceted jewel full of delights and distractions, or a desert blasted bare of hope; I make paintings to inspire a reaction and elicit an emotional response. I use bold colour combined with an expressive technique involving many layers of paint and surface, usually in acrylic on canvas, but also using watercolour on paper. I like to combine two separate pieces into one, contrasting colour and pattern. This revealing/combining of the underneath/surface is to show what’s inside, hidden, where the darkness is the counterpoint to light. The interconnectedness of all things, a complex interplay with connections everywhere I look. Most important for me is the fierce joy of being alive and the tensions between love/hate, wonder/despair, life/death are where I find my inspiration. I am passionate about what I do, and I hope this is apparent in the potency and power of my paintings
My Story
A little bit about me - I was born in the middle of England in a town called Nuneaton. My love of art started very early, by the age of 10 I knew I wanted to be an artist, even if I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant! After leaving school I went on to I gain an Honours Degree in Fine Art from John Moore’s University in Liverpool. Later, I trained as an Art teacher, and have worked in both formal and informal education.
I have travelled all over the world, having lived in Malawi, Nepal, Europe, and the UK. I have experienced first-hand different cultures, traditions, landscapes, and climates all of which have enhanced and deepened my appreciation of the variety of life and increased my understanding of the universal themes that bind us together as human beings.
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.