Featured Artist Anne Watson Sorensen

Artist Anne Watson Sorensen presents a collection of stunning landscape paintings created using watermedia. See more by visiting her website.

 

 

I have been on a lifelong quest seeking to find joy and belonging. I was raised with seven siblings in Canada by poor Chinese immigrants. It was a daily challenge to survive, learn English and overcome cultural barriers. Emotions were quashed in favor of practicality, hard work and logic. Suppressing feeling resulted in emptiness. My latent needs for belonging, love and joy lay buried.

 

 

Art found and saved me.

 

 

While a young mother, I lived in Barcelona, Spain. The masterful art and experiences that surrounded me ignited my emotions. I no longer wanted to be a spectator. I chose to become a courageous and passionate pursuer of art. For the past twenty-five years, I have had a life filled with joy and creativity.

 

 

As an artist, I paint with intent so that my paintings radiate joy. For me, joy is a choice to deeply love, listen and see. It requires courage, vulnerability, perspective and optimism. Joy is heightened when acquainted with pain, rejection, sorrow and grief. The result may appear playful, hopeful, euphoric, at peace or even pensive.

This joy invites belonging to ourselves and to each other.

 

 

My paintings are diverse in subject and style. They reflect these many facets and feelings of joy and belonging. My content comes from daily spiritual study and journaling. Leonarda daVinci said, “When the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”

 

 

Next come selections of subject, style, surface and medium. This is followed by composition, shape, value and color choices. The painting is finished when it belongs to the original idea, and joy exudes.

 

 

Painting in watercolor is my specialty and my first love. The addition of mixed media painting further breaks down barriers and affords me more dialects from which to choose to communicate content. The universal language of art knows no bounds!

 

 

I graduated from Business and Art School. Continued growth under master artists worldwide challenges me to learn deeper. I’m a Signature Member of the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies (WFWS) and Distinguished Merit Member of the Idaho Watercolor Society (IWS). I’ve been awarded grants from the National Endowment of the Arts and the Idaho Arts Commission.

 

 

My award-winning artwork is in public, corporate and private collections worldwide. I am represented by six galleries and have had numerous solo shows. In addition, I am a member of BOSCO (Boise Open Studios), the National Watercolor Society (NWS) and President of Art Breakthrough Intensive Workshops. Being a community arts leader, motivational speaker, and watercolor instructor continue to infuse me with joy and connectedness.

 

 

I’m inspired by Maya Angelou when I write, “I belong no place. I belong everywhere. I belong to me.” Hopefully, you feel transformed and choose joy and belonging when you view my artwork.

 

Artist Anne Watson Sorensen invites you to follow her on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

 

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