Bringing the past into the present

Original oil on canvas, framed

46 x 46

Painted for the Rebel Hearts exhibition -

Fast-forward to 2024 - this painting has been hanging in my hallway the past 5 year. It was a piece that I never felt had reached it’s full potential - and so as I was gathering up my paints and my canvases to come down to my studio in McCrae for the end of the Christmas holidays, I decided to bring this painting along in case I was inspired to breathe more life into it.

I have titled it ‘Bringing the Past Into the Present’ because it is very much so. Bringing this past creation more into life by adding a lot of layering with the palette knife; resulting in brighter and more vibrant energy and colours. Just in the same way that I’m bringing all of the bits of my past and using them as the fire to fuel my present life.

Note* The Frame is a light oak colour, not dark as depicted in the other wall hanging images

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I live in a world of Colour.
My art is Heart-Full - created from the inspiration that comes from being in the natural world - so filled with beauty, vigour and life. I take that inspiration and combine it with the emotions I’m feeling in that moment - and I create.

It’s my aim to capture some essence of that beauty and life in my impressionist and abstract expressionist landscapes, flora and colour-fuelled paintings.
I also draw subjects that bring me joy - with a bent towards expressive realism.

I paint from my studio at home in Black Rock, (Bayside, Victoria) and at my beautiful retreat space in McCrae, Victoria. My work can be found here, on Instagram and at exhibitions I take part in.

I’m available for commissioned works - residential or commercial - and I work with my clients to determine the colour palettes, inspiration and essence of the piece they wish to create.

I also run an Open Studio & host HeART-Full Creation Events & Workshops helping individuals reconnect to their inner artist.

Background:
There is a lot I could say about my life and past experiences (I’ll leave that mostly to my writings on my website - annmariegrace.com). The general jist is, I was a creative child… voted ‘most artistic’ of my highschool senior class and I initially followed my heart & studied Fine Art at University.

But when I came to my graduation, even though my heart encouraged me to paint and draw - I told myself it was time to ''get serious” and “get a real job”. And so I set my paint brushes, pencils and conté aside and started planning to ‘be a grown up’.

I searched for how I was going to bring my love for creating into a ‘real job’, initially undertaking a post grad program in advertising arts for a year. Though I could do it, I knew I wasn’t passionate for it, so I set my sights on the creative side of the business world, and ended up in marketing.

Over the year’s my paint brushes and pencils lay pretty dormant...

Gratefully, I picked the brushes up again in recent years - and after a heart shattering experience in Jan '24 when I discovered my old drawings and realised how I'd abandoned my heart ... I'm not full circle back to my art, along with my coaching and podcasting - Breaking Free, Coming Back to Me.