Off The Wall Magazine Q&A with Ann Sklar
5/6/2021
Maine: My family spent every summer for as long as I can remember in New England, primarily at Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. When friends from Lake Wentworth moved to Maine permanently, we visited and were hooked. I have been spending long, wonderful summers in Maine since then. The rest of the year I am a city girl in Tampa, Florida so the breath of fresh air is intoxicating and invigorating. Being surrounded by the beauty around me has had a major influence on my painting.
Inspiration: I continue to find inspiration in the natural world and paint more abstract views of landscapes and horizons. My intention is to make paintings where the viewer can find a calming, quieting, breathable place.
Medium: I became less interested in all of the process involved in printing, and switched to watercolor and gouache, and then finally acrylics and oils. I fell in love with the rich color and textures that these mediums provided.
Artist Hero: I have been largely influenced by the color field painters and abstract expressionists like Mark Rothko and Helen Frankenthaler.
Studio: I’ve always worked from my home. At one point, I had a small building behind my house. That studio was my favorite because it had no phone and no distractions. Currently, I work from a bedroom that I’ve taken over as my creative space. I like to hang my work all around my house so I can live with my paintings and be sure that they are finished.
Where in Maine: In 2005, we built a home in Woolwich, on the edge of the Kennebec River, and spend about five months there every summer.
Fun Fact: Like many artists my path to painting professionally was often interrupted by careers that left little time for creating. I taught school, did art consulting, and opened and ran two galleries. Although these careers were enriching and interesting, I would love to have been able to answer the call of Maine earlier, and spend many more years here.
Education: I have a BFA in printmaking from Arcadia University in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
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