Ann has been a naturalist and artist all of her life. Her love of art and science began when she received her first color filled box of crayons. From that beginning she has had a life with art, color and nature at the core. She is a long time resident of Orcas Island. Born in Milwaukee WI and growing up in Honolulu, she graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Life Science. She and her husband Keith moved to the Sierra Foothills. In 1981 they began readying their Orcas home, moving here in 1992. “I love to be outside, walking amongst the farms near our home, eating a picnic lunch in a field, or sitting enjoying our rural and marine surroundings. The sights, smells and sounds envelope and inspire me. Using layers of color I am attempting to capture the emotions in a way that I hope the viewer can feel and enjoy. We live on the rocky east side of the island and the sunrises can be just amazing. I can’t help but be inspired to paint the colorful world that we see each morning. The power and joy of our world is a recurring theme that I love to paint. My indoor studio has windows all along one side. I open them all to enjoy the fresh air and sounds of the forest, trees, birds, water and marine mammals. It is so exciting and uplifting to paint with all of these onlookers.”