I am excited to introduce you to the painter Anna Valdez! Her lush paintings respond to her surroundings and examine the objects that make up our day to day lives. Through this examination, the objects take on a new, poetic, quality that allows the inanimate to step into their own specific personification. When I look at Anna's work, I am reminded of Tom Robbin's book, Skinny Legs and All, and the host of ordinary objects (Can o' Beans, Dirty Sock, Spoon, Painted Stick and Conch Shell) that "wake up" and become extraordinary.
Anna is based in Oakland, CA and was recently in an incredible exhibition, The Beyond: Georgia O’Keeffe and Contemporary Art at Crystal Bridges. The show has traveled and is currently at North Carolina Art Museum. We talk about how travel has impacted her work by allowing her to explore new spaces and meet other artists, such as her experience with her show at The Provincial with the artist Catherine Haggarty. We not only discuss her paintings but also how important community is to her and the other processes she is involved with such as bee keeping, gardening and fermenting.
Her work has been featured in Juxtapoz Magazine, New American Paintings, Booooooom.com, and Daily Serving and has been exhibited at Hashimoto Contemporary in San Francisco, and Dianna Witte Gallery in Toronto Canada.
I had a blast talking to Anna about her community in Oakland, her show that she had a few months ago at The Provential, and her many interests inside and outside of the studio.
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