Ann was born in St. Asaph, Flintshire and now lives above the Ogwen Valley, in Gerlan, near Bethesda, Gwynedd.

She graduated in 1988 from Exeter College of Art & Design with an Honours Degree in Graphic design, was drawn 'home' to Wales where she worked as a freelance designer and illustrator until 1995.

Ann was Managing/Creative Director of Welsh web design company WiSS from 1996 to 2009.

Work in print includes illustrations for children's books, book cover design, editorial illustration, advertising campaigns and graphic work for a variety of clients and organisations across Wales and the UK.

Since being accepted as an associate member of the Royal Cambrian Academy in 1992 and becoming a full member the following year, her work as a painter and printmaker has taken precedence over illustration and design.

She was a member of the Conwy Print Workshop from 1993 until it closed in 1997. All her printmaking is now carried out in a small home-based studio in Gerlan.

Ann has exhibited in numerous group exhibitions, as well as solo and joint exhibitions in Liverpool, Manchester and Cardiff.

In 2005 Ann decided to take on the responsibility for setting-up a life-drawing group on behalf of the Royal Cambrian Academy. After running and co-ordinating the group for two years, Ann handed over to gallery staff who continue to organise a programme of classes on Wednesday evenings.

Ann has been a member of the RCA's council on three occassions, from 1994 to 1997, 1999 to 2002 (as secretary) and again from 2003 to 2006.

Her work can currently be seen at the Tegfryn Gallery, Menai Bridge, Anglesey, the Royal Cambrian Academy in Conwy, Galeri in Betws y Coed, Tonnau in Pwllheli and Elfen-Celf in Llanberis.


Why do I work primarily in lino?

"Whilst my work is varied, both in style and media, my real passion is for the ‘humble’ lino.

I enjoy the physical process of cutting warm, fresh lino with sharp tools and get enormous pleasure from the variety of styles and marks I can achieve.

On a good day, the cutting tools almost will melt into the lino, leaving a clean, sharp line, allowing me to make detailed, subtle marks.

The nature of the medium produces an unmistakable, graphic look and feel, yet I find it has the flexibility to enable subjects of all types to be interpreted, simply by using the medium and tools creatively, without any reservations or preconceived ideas of what they are capable of doing and with a large dose of imagination.

Many people only associate linocutting with school art classes and sadly this label has a tendency to make it a medium which people avoid, both as artists and purchasers of art, possibly through fear of not wanting to express an interest in a lightweight form of art.

Part of my passion is to dispel this unwarranted belief by making linocut prints acceptable as serious works of art and to demonstrate to other artists and the general public that linocutting can be as expressive, adaptive, flexible and exciting a medium as any other”.

Ann Lewis - August 2010

 
   

Home | The artist | In the artist's studio | A print's progress | Greetings cards | Print order form
Gallery 1 Welsh landscapes | Gallery 2 Frogs & geckos | Gallery 3 Cats | Gallery 4 Plants and Birds
Diary 2010 | Diary 2008/2009 | Diary 2006/2007 | Diary 2005 | Diary 2004

All images copyright © Ann Lewis R.C.A. 2005 - 2010