Anne Olwin
People and Portraits | Birds and Animals | Architectural | Florals | Miscellaneous
People and Portraits
People intrigue and fascinate me. All people carry with them unique stories, incredible dignity that belongs to humanity, and the ability to communicate passions and complex ideas. I feel honored each time I draw or paint a person and I strive to capture the truth of the individual in my work.
Laura Watercolor
11x14
"Laura graces our home with her presence from time to time. She grew up with our daughters and, like her precious sisters, feels like my own. This pose speaks of the beauty and elegance that she possesses."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available - A6 size
Each an Original
Watercolor
"During one of my painting trips to Santa Cruz, California, a group of young gymnists gathered on mats in the middle of the baracaded street for a fabulous demonstration of their abilities. The long blue horizontal shadows played against the interesting grouping of vertical legs. This painting makes me smile."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
John
Watercolor 11x14
Private collection
"Not long ago, I ran across a photo of my wonderful husband taken when our children were young. Being one of my favorite photos of him, I had to paint it. He stole my heart at 21 and has it to this day. It is because of him that I got into painting and because of his encouragement and support that I continued through the lean and difficult years of learning and growing as an artist."
A Good Book
Oil 12 x 19
"There is just something about a monochromatic painting that draws me. This study, painted as a demonstration in an oil workshop, was the perfect subject for it. It captured the serenity of the model lost in her book."
Original available
Song of the Maasai
Oil
Private collection
"Friends of ours were given special access to the daily living in a Maasai tribe. This tribe is unique among the Maasai in that they have settled, built a dam and healthier dwellings, have increased their life expectancy and live in peace, abandoning the fierceness that marks the Maasai as a people. Here they were singing praise to God."
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available-A6 size
Beauty In Oil
Oil 11x14
"I have always been enamored with the rough drawings of Raphael, Michaelangelo, da Vinci and other masters of the past. They captured a look that soothes the heart.
Wanting to achieve the same effect, before painting, I roughly textured this canvas and used flake white as an underpainting to give the appearance of age. My daughter Jenna's eyelids have a Raphael-ite quality, resulting in a soft, beautiful old-world type portrait."
Original available
Orange Crush
Oil
"Having devoted a large amount of my life to children, they still surprise and enchant me. Their little brains seem always busy with plans and dreams."
Original available
Fine Art Prints Available
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Birds and Animals
Face to Face
Oil 16x20
Private collection
"Aren't elephants wonderful?! This fellow both intimidates and inspires me. He seems a distant cousin to one I saw a few years ago giving rides to children at a fair. So regal compared to his sad relation. His massive frame fills the painting with his powerful, unfettered being. It frightens me a little."
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available_A6 size
Grass is Greener
Watercolor on Textured Clayboard 11 x 14
"On a trip to Wyoming a couple of years ago, we passed a herd of horses and mules along a fence just east of the Grand Tetons. These were but a couple of them. This watercolor study serves as a foundation for a larger oil painting rearing to get out of my mind and onto canvas."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available - A6
Golden Retrievers
Watercolor
Private Collection
"I love dogs. We've owned several breeds over the years, but never a golden retriever. If I ever get another dog, this would be the breed. The kind gentle natures of these two golden retrievers came out in their commissioned portrait."
Fine Art Prints available
Flibbertigibbits
Oil 36 x 48
"Starlings are social little birds that seem to enjoy being around people. This happy little group flitted from branch to branch as I watched from the bank, clicking photos in unison with their actions.
Original available
Fine Art Print by special order. Contact Anne
Cards available - A6
Military Macaws
Watercolor 22 x 30
"I sat for an hour or so one day watching this pair of Military Macaws. They fluffed, preened, squawked and fought, peering at me from time to time to make certain they had my undivided attention. My guess is their names are Stan and Ollie for I got the most entertaining private performance any two birds could give."
Serenity
Oil
Private Collection
"As the natural habitat of birds has been taken over by building in central Florida, more and more beauties like this take up residence on or near the water source at my mother's home. She has left some portion of her property wild, yet the birds, so accustomed to people now, visit the back lawn for food. I sit very still and enjoy their antics."
Trail Mix
Oil 16x20
"Horses punctuate my own history with pleasurable memories. The hours I spent riding, cooling off in the lake with beloved Beckett as he gave me tail-rides, and feeding apples over the fence to Lovely and Missy are treasures I carry with me. This piece is reminiscent of our years spent in Montana."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available
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Architectural
Pioneer Square Pergola
Oil
"The Pergola in Pioneer Square (Seattle) is one of the loveliest places around architecturally. Small glass panes in the arched sections between ornate supports provide a glimpse into the leaves above on a spring day and a welcomed relief from the rain on a winter one.
Standing under the Pioneer Square Pergola, I was struck by the intricacy and beauty of the structure. The lovely dappled greens of the trees danced in the light glow of the panels between the wooden and metal supports. Each arching support terminated in its own delicate filigree. From the outside, the Pergola is beautiful, from the inside... breathtaking!"
Original available
Fine Art Print by Special Order. Contact Anne.
Pioneer Square Capital
Watercolor 11 x 14
"An architectural piece by John Singer Sargent at a traveling exhibit a few years back inspired me to do some paintings in this genre, something that had previously been of little interest to me. Now, I stare in wonder at the intricacies and nuances of fine old buildings, never tiring of their unique qualities."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available- A6 size
Santa Cruz Flower Market
Acrylic 19 x 22
"If you ever make a trip to Santa Cruz, California, you are in for a treat. Stop at Noah's Bagels and get a bagel with a schmear. Make sure you sit at the counter by the windows that open to the sidewalk so you can see the street musicians. Then browse the unusual shops, and stop by this flower kiosk. Wonderful!"
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available - A6 size
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Floral
Antique Roses in Pink and White
Watercolor
"Thanks to my husband's passion for roses, we possess a broad range of varieties in our yard. Any day from May through October we can walk out and cut a lovely bouquet. Last winter, we had roses almost all winter long, a rare deal here in the Pacific Northwest. Audrey Hepburn and Honor made up this bouquet, painted in north light."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available
Yellow Roses
Watercolor
"Yes, we do love roses. One trip to the grocery a particular bouquet caught John by surprise. He purchased them for me, knowing my favorites have always been yellow varieties. The yellow-green color gave them an unusual, but beautiful cast... so beautiful, in fact, I had to paint them."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
Cards available -A6 size
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Miscellaneous
Seattle Waterfront at Twilight
Oil
Image size 24 x 60
"One summer evening my darling husband and I took the ferry from Bremerton to Seattle. Dusk turned the sky and water a glorious azure and the lights twinkled as we glided along. The staggeringly beautiful view and wonderful company linger in my mind to this day."
Original available
Red in the Rain
Oil 12 x 28
"Several years ago a line formed one rainy morning at the merchantile that was across from our gallery. The woman with the red umbrella captured my attention... a metaphor for my view of living life. That day I grabbed my camera and snapped a series of pictures that later became reference for this painting."
Original available
Prints available
Red Scarf and Blue Jeans
Watercolor 11 x 14
"Published in Watercolor Magic Magazine, this piece remains one of my favorites. The gestures tell the story."
Original available
Fine Art Prints available
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This gallery page provides an overview of Anne's work through some of her more recent pieces. While not comprehensive, included are oils and watercolors. For more information on any of these pieces or to check on availability, Contact Anne
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