Ann Street Bailey
Vermont Plein Air painter Ann Street Bailey meshes her two lifelong loves: nature and art with each new painting she creates. Upon her retirement from the education field, Ann was thrilled to devote her time to painting and the study of various media. Now she is able to paint the Vermont landscapes she loves each day.
Because her primary objective is to convey the mood and essence of a moment, her style may change from day to day or place to place. From Alla Prima rural landscapes to minimalist paintings to the abstract, Ann uses the study of color and composition to achieve this objective.
Ann began her education with art classes at the University of Tennessee. Although she describes herself as a largely self-taught artist, she has continued her studies over the years at the Irish School of Landscape painting as well as with other notable artists in North Carolina and Vermont. She has also studied at the Firehouse Gallery in Burlington, Vermont.
Her travels always inspire new work. As part of her collection, one can see works from Ireland and Arizona as well as North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains near where she was raised. But, of course, her favorite subject continues to be Vermont, with its incomparable light, color, mood and views.
Artists Statement
Ann Street Bailey is a plein air landscape artist whose love of nature has meshed with her background in art. Ann studied art as part of her formal interior design training at the University of Tennessee but she considers herself to be primarily a self-taught painter. A former educator, Ann decided in 2001 to commit her time to the Arts and to creating artistic interpretations of the places she loves most.
Ann has extensive experience working with color and color relationships and her interest in color includes its affect upon emotion and the human psyche. Ann knows, however, that while color is an important painting aspect, a successful painting involves problem solving other than a color plan. Ann, as a plein air painter, believes that only direct observation allows the opportunity to analyze color elements and that painting on location allows the best opportunity to consider good composition and establish correct form, values, temperatures and intensities. When painting on location she often completes paintings alla prima (in one sitting). Or she may complete 95 percent on location, going to her studio for the final touch. She usually uses a wet on wet process. However, Ann may draw a series of field studies in pen and ink or charcoal as preliminary drawings for paintings which she completes entirely in her studio. Then she uses a more traditional approach with layering and glazing.
Ann’s foremost objective is not to convey detail but to convey mood, feel and essence of a moment and place. Therefore, her style may differ from day to day and place to place. Ann moves from alla prima rural landscapes, to simple minimalist paintings, to the more abstract. She feels that a single style may not convey what is desired. But is closest in style to a combination impressionist and colorist, she says.
She uses only the best materials, which include: Artist quality oil paints, usually M. Graham, Holbein, or Winsor & Newton. Her surfaces include linen or cotton duck stretched canvas, archival hardboard core canvas board, or gessoed hardwood panel. She uses walnut oil as a medium due to its faster drying, no yellowing properties. Because of this her colors are brighter and livelier. In the early stages of a painting she may use turpenoid.
Ann studied painting at the Irish School of Landscape Painting and returns annually to Ireland to paint because she finds the Irish landscapes incomparable for atmospheric studies. When not in Ireland she may be found in the Red Rock Country of Arizona. Many of those paintings, which are of vortexes around the Sedona area, are part of the artist’s private collection. She also paints in North Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains near where she was raised. Most frequently, however, you will find Ann painting in the Green Mountains of Vermont. A Vermonter for nearly 15 years, Ann’s favorite scenes are close to her own home in Lamoille County. That, she says, is her favorite place to paint.
In addition to her formalized instruction, Ann has worked with local Vermont artists, and other nationally known artists in North Carolina and Tennessee. Ann credits her schooling, relationships with many fine artists, and her work as an interior designer as integral parts of her artistic development. Ann is a member of the International Plein Air Painters Organization. She is a volunteer and supporter of Arts in Vermont and is a member of the Wooden Horse Arts Guild in northeast Vermont. She continues to study painting techniques, composition, and art history and states that her most important reference is A. P. Laurie’s The Painters Methods and Materials. She continually reads and researches the subject matter but believes that there is nothing more important to growth as an artist than daily hands on painting. It is a rare day that you cannot find Ann out and about painting Vermont scenes she has discovered.
If you would like further information, or to place an order/commission please email:
ann.street.bailey@1066artgallery.co.uk