Ann Winship   Moved from California in 2011  ​Lives in Kerikeri, New Zealand 

Picture
Ann on the day she became a Kiwi in 2017

Moving to New Zealand in 2011 was the perfect opportunity to put my love of artistic pursuits into  gear. Surrounded by natural beauty and having the gift of time, I enjoy painting in oil, acrylic, and watercolour as well as constructing copper wire sculptures in my home Art studio and Gallery. 
​In 2014, I started  KOAST, the Kerikeri Open Art Studios Trail which holds a 3 day art trail over the Labour Day weekend each year. KOAST has become the premier art event in the Far North, offering visitors an opportunity to visit artist studios, meet the artists and purchase local art. With over 60 artists at 30 locations,  artists  KOAST is one of my proudest ‘creations’. 
 Born in 1948 in Palo Alto, California, Ann attended Lowell High School in San Francisco (1966), UC Santa Barbara (1969), and UC Berkeley graduating with honors (1971). She have always dabbled in the arts, but has also enjoyed careers as a  teacher working with 4 to 9 year olds (1988-2011), caterer and travel agency owner (Winship Travel 1976-1986). Since coming to New Zealand and starting KOAST, Ann has also lovingly restored a 1920's Kauri Villa in the Hokianga with her husband, Larry Haynes. 

Ann Loves Painting on Location 

PictureArtist in 2009 with Landscape Paintings at PepperWood Perserve, Sonoma CA

I am a plein air painter who moved to Kerikeri from Northern California in 2011. I studied art at Santa Rosa College with Alan Alzarian, Lisa Bernsteen and Marsha McConnell. I have received awards at the Sonoma and Marin County Fairs for abstract and landscape works. I continue to take classes and work with other artists to develop my skills and artistic expression.I enjoy painting landscapes, cityscapes and seascapes on location in oil, acrylics, watercolour or pastels. Unlike painting from a snapshot, plein air painting allows me to immerse myself in the experience of the location as it changes through the day. Typically I visit a location 2 or 3 times to catch the interplay of light and shadow on the subject. I take a few photos for the finishing touches which I do back in my studio. Most paintings require 2 to 3 layers of paint to develop color, textures and details. I love painting water, clouds, light and shadows. I try to create a simple, serene, balanced compositions that will give the viewer an opportunity to enjoy the beauty and power of nature.

My work is influenced by many artists: Cezanne, Monet, and Van Gogh for their vibrant palettes, painterly brush work, and compositions that slip away from realism while celebrating daily life. With all my paintings,  I want to construct new understandings of  color, light, space and shape. Favorite subjects include cafés, and local sites. I also enjoy drawing in dry pastels and painting with watercolours for a more portable plein air jaunt.

 I also make copper wire sculptures in long, flowing, organic shapes in the style of Ruth Asawa. I love knitting the coiled wire into abstract vessels that cast amazing shadows.   
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Ceramics, furiniture restoration and fabric art are other forms for my creative expression. 

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