Awakening (detail)

Ann Croghan
Light & Color II

March 1 - May 18, 2024

Statement

I am a colorist. The pursuit for the understanding, control, and mastery of color has been a constant in my process throughout my artistic career and is a passion I share with my students.

In my own work, using the sky as a metaphor for my connection with God, I draw on the splendor of nature, clouds, and the cosmos as a conduit for expressing emotions of joy, divine grace, and hope. My hand is guided by my appreciation for God’s beauty and the reverence that He creates around us. 

In this exhibition, Light and Color II, I am striving for an even deeper depth-of-space in my paintings. While still employing the layering and blending of colors, I am now focusing on heightened drama via fluidity of strokes, meticulous details, and rich contrasts. 

This depth-of-space exploration is driven by — and mirrors — my own current path of introspection. In composing works that draw myself and the viewer to the light inside the painting, I strive to encourage and invite self-reflection, contemplation, and possible discovery of grace and one’s own purpose.

Bio

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Ann Croghan embraces an “All American” identity, having spent much of her childhood in Massachusetts before settling in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri - St. Louis, and pursued a Master of Fine Arts with a focus on painting and drawing at the University of Illinois - Champaign/Urbana.

Since 2011, she has been a studio artist at the Foundry Art Centre, practicing her art and offering classes. She has garnered numerous awards in local, regional, national, and international exhibitions, with her artwork finding a place in various corporate and private collections.

Light & Color II will be on exhibit through May 18th in the East Gallery, the home gallery of the Foundry Art Centre’s studio artists.