Multi-media, currently watercolor with pen and ink.

Brasstown Bald: the Road to Heaven

My newest project has me on a five year journey across Georgia, painting the fabulous natural wonders of our beautiful state, stretching from the peaks of the Blue Ridge Mountains down to the coastal shores of our barrier islands.
This painting series was Inspired by a bucket list authored by longtime AJC science writer and author Charles Seabrook, an article called "35 Natural Wonders in Georgia to See Before You Die," originally published in 2008.
I have always preferred painted local subject matter rather than exotic locales, with the belief that there Is beauty right in front of us if we only look. I enjoy seeing people light up when they recognize in my paintings a local train depot, a special tree, or a quiet farm vista, and see that it is worthy of being painted. Good art elevates its subject to the realm of beauty, no matter how humble the subject.

About

Ann Litrel

I’ve had a working studio for almost thirty years, creating fine art, commercial pieces, and commissions for private and corporate clients across the country. Painting landscapes and nature close to home is my passion! In the Gallery you can find a wide range of landscapes - paintings of Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, and Cherokee County landmarks like the Sixes Mill, Woodstock Depot, and the Shingle House at Franklin Creighton Gold Mine. Selected images are available as prints - on paper, canvas and even contemporary metal - in the Store. My newest paintings are part of the "Georgia Natural Wonders" collection. This is an ambitious five year project that has me hiking, kayaking and painting across the state, from mountains to the coast. When the project is formally launched, it will include original art, NTFs, prints, a traveling show (and hardcover book!)

Ann Litrel

describes their creative process

When I select a subject to paint, I thoroughly enjoy the process of creating preparatory studies and sketches. I do multiple small "thumbnails" which allow me to explore separately: lights and darks, warm and cool, line and mass, and finally, the often neglected element of "edges," for each subject I paint. through this process, I grow to understand better why I'm drawn to the subject, and what will make my interpretation of it unique and original, the only such "view" of it in the world! What is most significant to me is that humble subject matter, whether an ordinary household object, aging barn, or neglected wildflower patch, can be elevated to the level of intense beauty, when given the focused intention of the artist.

Discover the creative processes of all of our artists interviewed so far...