Featured Artist Anne Palmer

Artist Anne Palmer’s detailed and captivating scratchboard art focuses on the natural world.  See more of her intriguing portfolio by visiting her website.

 

 

As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be an artist. I was lucky to have lived in a time where we had art classes in elementary school and summer art classes at the museum. Since my grandmother and father were both aspiring artists, they realized the importance of encouraging me in my passion.

 

 

I drew all the time – horses, people, my minister speaking from the pulpit, trees and animals on my class notes in school, and on and on. And then I majored in art in college. I thought I would become a fine artist when I finished school, but life had other ideas.

 

 

My degree program didn’t teach much of anything about how to actually make a living at art, so I struggled. I started a small publishing company in the mountains and became a one-man band doing everything.

 

 

Eventually, with a tiny income and no benefits, I was seduced into corporate America so I could support my family, have health insurance, etc. All the time though, I loved art and worked on commissions nonstop after I sold my little company and went nine to five.

 

 

I loved pen and ink, and in my spare time drew over a hundred homes for realtors in the San Bernandino Mountains and Palm Springs areas.

 

 

I illustrated the LA Times Homes Magazine pet column, pet food brochures, and more. I kept on believing I would get back to doing my art full time and finally become a professional artist.

 

 

Four years ago, I retired. Before my last day of work, I had already signed up for colored pencil class at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute. I wanted to make up for lost time, and I wanted to add color to my palette. I joined the Southern Arizona Arts Guild and met other artists, jumped into the network and was encouraged to forge ahead. A chance scratchboard intro class grabbed me and the next thing I knew, I was in formal classes and I haven’t looked back.

 

 

My focus is on nature and in particular, animals. Scratchboard is very well-suited as a medium to portray them. In every piece I do, my goal is for it to be technically better than the last one.

 

 

I discovered the International Society of Scratchboard Artists (ISSA) and became an Active Member. What an encouraging group this is in a not-so-mainstream medium! This spring, I had two pieces juried into their annual show, won the Memorial Award, and sold one of my pieces!

 

 

My next goal is to be a Signature Artist in ISSA and do some teaching. I never gave up on my dream and now I’m living it!

 

Artist Anne Palmer invites you to follow her on Facebook.