About

Anna Thomas is an artist living and working in Cumbria. Her paintings are created from an inner need to respond to her surroundings and illustrate her fascination with the esoteric aspects of nature. 



In 2019, she was elected into MAFA, the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts. She is currently one of the officers for MAFA, acting as AGBI Steward and a member of the council.

"I am fortunate to be surrounded by fells, fields, rivers and lakes. At first glance the landscape is understated, but it holds a limitless wealth of subject matter for creative endeavours. 

I co-exist with numerous other life forces that burrow and forage and fly; and in each of our very different ways we are all affected by, and respond to, the natural changes around us."

"There is always something to inspire and to spiritually nourish.

 I never know when or where the inspiration for a new painting will occur, but when it does, the clarity of its impact is remarkable. 

I return to the place as soon as I am able, and make a series of sketches or loose paintings for colour reference; or quite often I just spend time absorbing the ambience.

 I then return to the studio and initially work quite freely and quickly in acrylic paint. At this stage, I have no idea where the painting may lead me. It could end up being closely based on the original place, or it may evolve into something more abstracted. It is far more important and meaningful to me to try to capture the atmosphere of place and time, rather than focus on compositional accuracies.

 As the painting progresses, I will often use collage, pastel, pencils and ink, until, for some inexplicable reason, the painting is complete.”

Anna Thomas is currently exhibiting with Courtney Gallery in Derbyshire and Ross Fine Art in Ireland.

Education

1994. MA Ceramics, Cardiff University.

1991. 1st Class Honours Degree, Art with Psychology, Froebal College, University of Surrey.