Ann Wirtz
Sometimes in life we travel on many different paths to get to our calling. Art and being creative is an innate part of my spirit, something that is deeply rooted within my soul. Through my many career iterations working as a graphic designer, STEAM educator, and fine artist I am drawn to create works of art that are abstracted, figurative, and innovative. My art is a reflection of my experiences and curiosities that allow me to explore the endless possibilities of my imagination.
With my background in graphic design, I create compositions that are well thought out, providing an underlying structure and cohesiveness to the layout. To create captivating artwork, I constantly look for differences in shape, value, and color allowing me to react to their interactions to create a compelling composition. Using a combination of heavy-body and fluid acrylic painting techniques, along with texture, line, and pattern I create dynamic artwork. I use a variety of mark making tools such as wax crayons, ink, graphite, stencils, and more to create many layers. As the layers are built up I like to scratch, and scrape away areas to reveal the story and underpainting, inviting viewers to enter the painting and respond with their own emotions and stories.
Through my artwork I explore my interests in varied artistic styles including figurative, abstract, and mixed media, with a curiosity to incorporate technology as part of the art. Not to be limited by one or the other I create artwork that fully represents my evolving creative process while incorporating innovative and expressive ideas. I am intrigued to paint the figure capturing human interactions, physical gestures, and explicit emotions in an abstracted form. I’m inspired by nature as well, with its beauty and textures and how they can be integrated into abstract art. I continually explore technology as art, interwoven within a composition to create interactive designs to allow viewers to become part of the experience.