Ann Goble's Branding won best in show at the 73rd Annual Member's Exhibition. Below is a short interview about her work.
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1. What is the most important thing about your work that someone might not know just by looking at it?
I am drawn to the "less is more" philosophy of painting and what I suppose someone might not know is that what might appear to be simple or minimalist, actually can be very time consuming. Trying to decide what to leave out takes a lot of thought and trial and error. Also, often when you look at someone's work, you have no idea what physical limitations the artist overcomes to be able to put paint on canvas. For me, I struggle with a serious hand injury from childhood that left me with a very limited grip in my dominant hand. You don't know it from looking at my work, but it has a huge influence on my technique. People tell me my brushstrokes have such a light touch, but what they don't know is that a light touch is really all I can do. It's something to think about when you see art, what has that artist struggled with. I know many artists who live with chronic pain, arthritis, serious vision problems, illness, and mental illness challenges. The fact that they show up to the canvas every day is inspiring and what they create is a gift to us all.
2.How has your work changed over time?
One of the joys of this process is watching the growth and change. As with anything, the more you paint, the better you become. I would say that over time I have been able to hone in on what subject matter I truly enjoy painting and what my collectors are looking for. When those 2 match-up, it is a good place to be. In terms of technique, I would say that over time I have become better able to paint shapes of color rather than things. When you stop seeing things and start seeing shapes of color, your painting improves.
3. What has been the most influential experiences/artists/etc. in the development of your work?
I have been fortunate to paint in a studio with other artists for 18 years. The influence of local artists Neal Hughs, Bob White and Ann Alexander has been a tremendous part of my growth. The Quinlan is where it all began for me. My first Oil Painting workshop was at the Quinlan and 30+ workshops later, it is still one of the best resources for artists in the south. Particular experiences would include studying equine painting in Colorado with Jill Soukup, attending Oil Painters of America shows, and studying abstract art with Larry Moore.
4. How does art and your daily life overlap?
Art consumes most of my daily life and that is fine with me. If you want to get better, you have to treat it like a job and give it priority over life's distractions. Balance is important though and time with family and friends has to also be a priority.
5. How did you research for your work in this show?
I have been painting western art for years. My family goes to a dude ranch in Arizona almost every year. The resource material I get there has had a huge influence on my development as a western artist. My painting in the Quinlan Member Show, Branding, is resourced from the ranch where I studied equine painting, Zapata Ranch in Colorado. They host interns every semester to work on the ranch, they are mostly college age girls. They work hard, they are ranch hands, they are dedicated to horses and ranch life. My painting, I hope, depicts the strength and determination needed to work on a ranch and that stereotypical gender generalizations do not apply here or anywhere.
6. How would you describe your process/practice?
Daily painting, daily sketching, avoid the noise of the world...it will kill your creativity.
7. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
When I first started painting, Bob White told me to paint every day, it will take years to get good, and in any given year you will probably only have 2 or 3 paintings that are really good...and they may have been accidents. I didn't want to believe any of that, but he was right.
8. What is your favorite work of art?
So many it is hard to narrow down but right at the top would be George Stubbs, Whistlejacket. He is probably the greatest painter of horses and Whistlejacket is a stunning piece of work. I was fortunate to see it at the National Gallery in London and it just takes your breath away. It is 9 feet by 8 feet, the colors are harmonious, the anatomy perfect, the emotion in the horse's posturing is striking.
9. What themes are most important to you in creating your work?
I think themes are very important if you want to market your work. It is important to have an identifiable style and sometimes that can take years to figure out. Again, this only really matters if you want to get into galleries and/or market your work. Are you going to paint loosely, realistically, are there certain colors you prefer using- there are many choices that will create your style and thematic direction. For me, I try to keep my themes to wildlife and my style painterly.
10. What other jobs have you had outside of creating art?
I worked in mental health for years, then in child abuse prevention. I maintain my license as a Licensed Professional Counselor.
11. How did you get into creating art?
As a kid, I always drew...for some weird reason I drew house plans! In high school, I took art classes. In college I took enough art classes to probably have minored in art. I studied under some great teachers, but I didn't really realize it at the time. My career was in mental health, so any art aspirations were dropped. I started a family and when my youngest started at Enota, I decided to pursue what had always been my true passion. It is the Quinlan that gave me my first oil painting class and subsequent instruction. I owe it all to the Q!
12.What artists would you want to be compared to?
Gee, maybe that would be better answered by what artist would I most want to paint like and there are so many! Right now I am loving the work of Jenny Buckner. She paints primarily pets and wildlife. Her painterly style, where each brushstroke sings, is something I aspire to. She captures such emotion. Another is Kathryn Turner who exemplifies the less is more better than anyone I know. It is important to find an artist you admire and study under them.
I am drawn to the "less is more" philosophy of painting and what I suppose someone might not know is that what might appear to be simple or minimalist, actually can be very time consuming. Trying to decide what to leave out takes a lot of thought and trial and error. Also, often when you look at someone's work, you have no idea what physical limitations the artist overcomes to be able to put paint on canvas. For me, I struggle with a serious hand injury from childhood that left me with a very limited grip in my dominant hand. You don't know it from looking at my work, but it has a huge influence on my technique. People tell me my brushstrokes have such a light touch, but what they don't know is that a light touch is really all I can do. It's something to think about when you see art, what has that artist struggled with. I know many artists who live with chronic pain, arthritis, serious vision problems, illness, and mental illness challenges. The fact that they show up to the canvas every day is inspiring and what they create is a gift to us all.
2.How has your work changed over time?
One of the joys of this process is watching the growth and change. As with anything, the more you paint, the better you become. I would say that over time I have been able to hone in on what subject matter I truly enjoy painting and what my collectors are looking for. When those 2 match-up, it is a good place to be. In terms of technique, I would say that over time I have become better able to paint shapes of color rather than things. When you stop seeing things and start seeing shapes of color, your painting improves.
3. What has been the most influential experiences/artists/etc. in the development of your work?
I have been fortunate to paint in a studio with other artists for 18 years. The influence of local artists Neal Hughs, Bob White and Ann Alexander has been a tremendous part of my growth. The Quinlan is where it all began for me. My first Oil Painting workshop was at the Quinlan and 30+ workshops later, it is still one of the best resources for artists in the south. Particular experiences would include studying equine painting in Colorado with Jill Soukup, attending Oil Painters of America shows, and studying abstract art with Larry Moore.
4. How does art and your daily life overlap?
Art consumes most of my daily life and that is fine with me. If you want to get better, you have to treat it like a job and give it priority over life's distractions. Balance is important though and time with family and friends has to also be a priority.
5. How did you research for your work in this show?
I have been painting western art for years. My family goes to a dude ranch in Arizona almost every year. The resource material I get there has had a huge influence on my development as a western artist. My painting in the Quinlan Member Show, Branding, is resourced from the ranch where I studied equine painting, Zapata Ranch in Colorado. They host interns every semester to work on the ranch, they are mostly college age girls. They work hard, they are ranch hands, they are dedicated to horses and ranch life. My painting, I hope, depicts the strength and determination needed to work on a ranch and that stereotypical gender generalizations do not apply here or anywhere.
6. How would you describe your process/practice?
Daily painting, daily sketching, avoid the noise of the world...it will kill your creativity.
7. What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
When I first started painting, Bob White told me to paint every day, it will take years to get good, and in any given year you will probably only have 2 or 3 paintings that are really good...and they may have been accidents. I didn't want to believe any of that, but he was right.
8. What is your favorite work of art?
So many it is hard to narrow down but right at the top would be George Stubbs, Whistlejacket. He is probably the greatest painter of horses and Whistlejacket is a stunning piece of work. I was fortunate to see it at the National Gallery in London and it just takes your breath away. It is 9 feet by 8 feet, the colors are harmonious, the anatomy perfect, the emotion in the horse's posturing is striking.
9. What themes are most important to you in creating your work?
I think themes are very important if you want to market your work. It is important to have an identifiable style and sometimes that can take years to figure out. Again, this only really matters if you want to get into galleries and/or market your work. Are you going to paint loosely, realistically, are there certain colors you prefer using- there are many choices that will create your style and thematic direction. For me, I try to keep my themes to wildlife and my style painterly.
10. What other jobs have you had outside of creating art?
I worked in mental health for years, then in child abuse prevention. I maintain my license as a Licensed Professional Counselor.
11. How did you get into creating art?
As a kid, I always drew...for some weird reason I drew house plans! In high school, I took art classes. In college I took enough art classes to probably have minored in art. I studied under some great teachers, but I didn't really realize it at the time. My career was in mental health, so any art aspirations were dropped. I started a family and when my youngest started at Enota, I decided to pursue what had always been my true passion. It is the Quinlan that gave me my first oil painting class and subsequent instruction. I owe it all to the Q!
12.What artists would you want to be compared to?
Gee, maybe that would be better answered by what artist would I most want to paint like and there are so many! Right now I am loving the work of Jenny Buckner. She paints primarily pets and wildlife. Her painterly style, where each brushstroke sings, is something I aspire to. She captures such emotion. Another is Kathryn Turner who exemplifies the less is more better than anyone I know. It is important to find an artist you admire and study under them.