About Ann Parks McCray

I'm an intuitive oil painter abstracting city, land, and seascapes as well as many florals on gallery-wrap canvas. My first memory of painterly delight came in the 5th-grade when my watercolor of red tulips with accompanying poem earned a PTA blue ribbon. I was ecstatic. I've been happily painting and writing ever since, professionally for 20+ years. I studied undergraduate art in my second professional incarnation, my first being teaching college literature and composition. So, my twin passions have served me well.

As for process, I stand in front of a blank canvas and begin without conscious intention or design. In this way, painting allows me a sense of freedom, fun, happiness--pure bliss! I use brush and palette knife, apply paint liberally, and turn each canvas to work it from multiple directions. Sometimes I'll glimpse a piece in a mirror to observe the composition in reverse in order to spot areas that could use tweaking. Nature is my ultimate inspiration. I find Her lines and designs beyond comprehension, indescribably beautiful. I find myself attempting to imitate Her on canvas continually. Each of my paintings is likely an homage to the natural world in one way or another.

My work is represented by brick-and-mortar galleries in North Carolina and Massachusetts, USA. And I am a fervent believer in art being put to work as well as pleasing. So a selection of my paintings has been donated to various benefits and healing spaces in North Carolina, Massachusetts, Montana, Texas, and Ohio, USA.

Painting is my happy place, but the creative circle doesn't feel complete until the work is claimed by a satisfied customer. Ultimately, I believe the human heart rests in beauty. Harmonizing space has been a personal goal of mine for a long time. I see the sky, sea, or a neighbor's garden through a painter's eyes. It's who I am. I hope you find the paintings intriguing, unique, uplifting, and fun. I hope they make you smile! Thank you for visiting my Artfinder store.