Internationally acclaimed, Ann has animal portraits and wildlife prints hanging in homes worldwide.

Painting came naturally to me. My first attempt was triggered by the need to fill a gap on my cottage wall and I borrowed my father’s watercolour box. The resulting painting of a stallion was quickly bought by a friend, as was the painting I did to replace it. I was soon accepting commissions for horses, dogs and other animals and, after exhibiting at the Game Fair at Bowood, I had secured enough commissions to launch a full-time career as an animal portraitist.

 
For as long as I can remember I have had an affinity with animals and the countryside. I have kept and bred horses, organically reared rare bred sheep and a couple of Dexter steers as well as a series of farm cats. My constant companions have been my dogs, always English Pointers, who have also been my most illustrated subjects. Here, I have used China as a model to show the sequence of my portraiture.

Biography

My empathy with and understanding of many animals have been the basis of all my work. I become completely absorbed in each portrait. Each one presents a new challenge. When I have been able to meet the animals I am portraying, I use my photographic memory, as well as photographs that I have taken, to project their character into the portraits and, I hope, capture their soul, immortalising it forever. This is endorsed by the emotions displayed on receipt of my portraits.

As many of my recent portraits have been painted during Covid19, I have worked from owners’ own photographs and have been able to portray the character of those animals too. Often my commissions are given as presents and I get great pleasure from the cloak and dagger efforts in helping to keep the secret and surprise.

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