Anna Mac was born in Derbyshire in 1986, and now lives and works on the Suffolk coast. She studied at Sir John Cass, London 2005 - 2008.
“ I am heavily inspired by colour and the way colour engages with one another, though they were conversations and there are endless conversations to be had. I am fascinated with the power colour has to draw the viewer in and connect.”
“My recent ‘Colour study’ series use the hard edge painting technique. The colour studies create a simple, flat image that allows the use of colour to be the main focus. I also enjoy taking inspiration from my surroundings, the beautifully painted houses of Suffolk inspired me to explore some more structural paintings. The structural use of line is subtle, so as to hint at an architectural scene, but they may also be viewed as simple abstract shapes.”
You’re currently living in Suffolk, how do your surroundings affect and inspire your work?
I’m heavily inspired by colour and Suffolk is full of beautifully painted houses. I find looking at all the layers and lines buildings create, especially by the sea really inspiring. Something as simple as wheelie bin outside a painted house inspires me! Sometimes the best inspiration is right in front of you.
You use clean lines and bright colours in your paintings. What materials do you use and why?
I mostly use acrylic, I am quite impatient and lots of my work on plywood involves several layers of paint so I use acrylic as it dries quickly. I’ve recently been experimenting with gouache on paper as this brings out the texture of the paper and gives a different quality to the painting.
Tell us about a day in your studio. Do you have a creative routine? Are there particular things you need around you to work effectively?
I work best by myself and without distraction. I tend to listen to music or podcasts, it’s always such a great feeling when you are completely absorbed in what you are working on. I take photos when I am in the studio so that when home I can look over them with fresh eyes. I can get pretty obsessed with what I am working on!
You work on a variety of scales. How did you find working on a postcard scale to create these works?
Working on the postcards was really refreshing. Sometimes you just need to tweak something such a scale to bring a whole new feel to your work. It inspired me to play with scale in some of my other paintings which I have found really interesting.
Do you have any exciting projects/exhibitions coming up?
Yes, I am working with a French gallery on some artistic rugs which will hopefully be coming out towards the end of the year. There will also be the build up to Christmas and some shows here in Suffolk and London.
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