Ann-Marie Gillett
My current work explores themes that give rise to vastly different imagery but are born from the same source—the natural world that exists around me on my 12-acre homestead. Both the cultivated and the wild elements of nature are a source of comfort, awe, solace and inspiration to me. I consider nature my muse. Observing both the subtle and the dramatic changes that occur daily in my environment give rise to a language of color relationships, textural surfaces, and morphing shapes and forms that I use in my work. These observations of my environment and the forces that work upon it have resulted in my exploring themes like growth, resiliency, memory, rebirth and the passage of time. Over the years I have developed a technique that involves painting different color gradations and textures on artist tape and then cutting and arranging meticulously cut shapes to develop an image. Colored pencil, watercolor, Posca markers and graphite are sometimes used to enhance the work. Recent work with enhanced cyanotype printing has expanded my expressive and experimental repertoire. The methodical and contemplative nature of this work suits my process to intuitively make decisions and revise what I make as the image takes form. My intent is to interpret and give visual form to the relationships I have with my natural surroundings that are deeply felt.