I am a Portland, Oregon oil painter. My favorite subjects are people and animals and whatever lies between. Drifting between realism and surrealism, I love recreating vintage America, re-imagining the lives and stories of the characters on my canvas or just exploring the emotional color of faces in the crowd.

While I am inspired by many eras, I’m particularly interested in exploring images of people from the the late 19th century and early and mid 20th century. My maternal grandparents instilled a love of vintage things in me at an early age. When my family visited my grandparents, we would explore the local antique shops and flea markets. My love of vintage treasure hunts and the thrill of the “find” has carried over into my artwork as now I am always on the lookout for striking images from bygone days.

In my art I explore the magic and beauty of the fleeting moments that leave indelible imprints on our lives. By recreating scenes from past lives, I open the door to new possibilities and stories that may or may not reflect the sentiment of the moment. After all, a glimpse into someone’s bygone memory can only take us so far, but curiosity about who they were or what they were doing can lead us down the magical path of our own imagination.

My attraction to faces, people and the stories behind them is a consistent theme in my art. I have grown to recognize a mild deficiency in my own ability to recognize and track faces. Perhaps my focus on facial features in my art is a way of working through this and exploring what makes each person unique. I usually also try to enhance the stories behind the faces in my paintings with details that provide clues about how I see subjects’ psyches and moods.

For me, art is as much about building community as it is about process and refining technique. I take every opportunity I can to get out and see what others are doing at art openings, local festivals, craft shows and galleries. And I try to do my part to build community, whether by hosting a small artists group, attending other groups or helping organize and promote craft shows. I also love storytelling, thrift stores and everything vintage.

Anna's prints are available on Etsy here.

www.annamagruder.com