Embroidery and mixed media.
Embroidery is the magical ingredient that captivates luminosity, depth and exciting textures onto her paintings.
Ann Dunbar's expressive artwork evokes emotional responses and instils meditative sensations and a peaceful mood. She has developed a unique style that blends impressionism with contemporary elements for visual impact.
BIOGRAPHY 2024
Ann Dunbar, originally from England, was born in Faberstown, Hampshire in 1953. She currently resides and works as an accomplished painter in France.
With three decades of artistic experience and aesthetic exploration, Ann has honed her skills in the delicate art of watercolour, seamlessly blending the rich tradition of English embroidery onto paper canvases.
Her unique approach involves layering fine threads of cotton and silk alongside paint, imbuing her artworks with an added dimension, creating a captivating interplay of colourful reflections that dance with changing light and the viewer's gaze.
Ann's journey through the world of art began with a degree in Education from the University of Southbank in London in 1975. She then pursued her passion further, graduating with honors from the School of Fine Arts at Surrey. Her dedication to the arts extended into the realm of education, as she served as a professor of applied arts in England for an impressive 16 years.
Notably, Ann Dunbar has been recognized and included in the prestigious Larousse directory of artist ratings since 2005. Her professional artistic journey continues to flourish in France, marked by numerous publications and official accolades.
Among her recent achievements, she was awarded the Vermeil Medal by the Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters in Paris in 2022. In 2016, her exceptional work earned her the Gold Medal at the International Artcomexpo.com exhibition in Oslo, Norway.
Ann's masterpieces can be admired at several esteemed galleries across the globe, including the Shoalhaven Gallery in New South Wales, Australia, and the Trevisan International Gallery in Italy.
Her unique fusion of watercolours and embroidery continues to captivate art enthusiasts worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art.
My Statement 2024
"My embroidery creates a wonderful marriage of texture, intricacy, and colour over ethereal, evocative watercolour paintings". Would you have believed that the evolution of this idea came from an old Victorian post card. An 18th century technique is revived into an exciting contemporary result. The captivating element was the combination of a painting with exquisite and luxurious texture. I use a sewing machine and hand embroidery to embellish my paintings on paper which are adhered to canvas or board.
I invite you to embark on a journey that will stir your emotions and leave you in awe of the resulting effects. The two techniques converge, whereby the the rich but harmonious scene transmits a compelling experience or tells a story that links humanity with our relationship to the surrounding fragile environment. I want to stir an awareness of the grandeur of the landscape and its hidden properties that symbolises our everyday lives. My intention is to create poignant, positive art together with a distinctive style. We need reconnect to our environment and be aware of its inherent powers.
My style of painting is quite similar to the impressionists' use of colour layering and "plein" air painting, hence the subsequent application of vibrant threads onto the painted surface, to impress on movement, texture, depth and detail. I am influenced by Chinese and Japanese painting, which emphasizes the power of brush movement and composition. The artwork reflects my desire to transmit positive and uplifting moods- the power of art can transform our attitude to life. It is the route to heal, to understand and to contemplate our passage of life.
Ann Dunbar, originally from England, was born in Faberstown, Hampshire in 1953. She currently resides and works as an accomplished painter in France.
With three decades of artistic experience and aesthetic exploration, Ann has honed her skills in the delicate art of watercolour, seamlessly blending the rich tradition of English embroidery onto paper canvases.
Her unique approach involves layering fine threads of cotton and silk alongside paint, imbuing her artworks with an added dimension, creating a captivating interplay of colourful reflections that dance with changing light and the viewer's gaze.
Ann's journey through the world of art began with a degree in Education from the University of Southbank in London in 1975. She then pursued her passion further, graduating with honors from the School of Fine Arts at Surrey. Her dedication to the arts extended into the realm of education, as she served as a professor of applied arts in England for an impressive 16 years.
Notably, Ann Dunbar has been recognized and included in the prestigious Larousse directory of artist ratings since 2005. Her professional artistic journey continues to flourish in France, marked by numerous publications and official accolades.
Among her recent achievements, she was awarded the Vermeil Medal by the Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters in Paris in 2022. In 2016, her exceptional work earned her the Gold Medal at the International Artcomexpo.com exhibition in Oslo, Norway.
Ann's masterpieces can be admired at several esteemed galleries across the globe, including the Shoalhaven Gallery in New South Wales, Australia, and the Trevisan International Gallery in Italy.
Her unique fusion of watercolours and embroidery continues to captivate art enthusiasts worldwide, leaving an indelible mark on the world of contemporary art.
My Statement 2024
"My embroidery creates a wonderful marriage of texture, intricacy, and colour over ethereal, evocative watercolour paintings". Would you have believed that the evolution of this idea came from an old Victorian post card. An 18th century technique is revived into an exciting contemporary result. The captivating element was the combination of a painting with exquisite and luxurious texture. I use a sewing machine and hand embroidery to embellish my paintings on paper which are adhered to canvas or board.
I invite you to embark on a journey that will stir your emotions and leave you in awe of the resulting effects. The two techniques converge, whereby the the rich but harmonious scene transmits a compelling experience or tells a story that links humanity with our relationship to the surrounding fragile environment. I want to stir an awareness of the grandeur of the landscape and its hidden properties that symbolises our everyday lives. My intention is to create poignant, positive art together with a distinctive style. We need reconnect to our environment and be aware of its inherent powers.
My style of painting is quite similar to the impressionists' use of colour layering and "plein" air painting, hence the subsequent application of vibrant threads onto the painted surface, to impress on movement, texture, depth and detail. I am influenced by Chinese and Japanese painting, which emphasizes the power of brush movement and composition. The artwork reflects my desire to transmit positive and uplifting moods- the power of art can transform our attitude to life. It is the route to heal, to understand and to contemplate our passage of life.
Review from the Circle Foundation for the arts,Director. Unique art by Ann Dunbar
The idiosyncratically layered works of Ann Dunbar combine painting and embroidery in a unique and painstaking technique that involves meticulous marks with a wet brush as well as with her old sewing machine. " This precious machine, given to me by my mother, is the most important tool in my creative world", describes Ann.Taking a medium that is typically associated with crafts, Dunbar's large mixed media works carry through the traditionally feminine practice of sewing, blending thread and paint into high works of art.
Full of colour, detail and texture, each work displays a complex arrangement of interconnected lines and motifs stitched together to produce a balanced and intricate mixed media composition.The works may require hours of careful gazing to take in the full spectrum of labour that the artist put in as well as to appreciate the delicate beauty and refined expertise which the finished piece reflects.
It is no surprise that Ann continues to exhibit and sell her remarkable artworks internationally.
Visit her website to enjoy more of her recent works.
Ann Dunbar is an International quoted artist, born and educated in U.K and now working and living in France.
In England, armed with a teachers' diploma (South bank University 1975) and an arts degree specialising in textiles (west surrey College of Art 1978), she taught in schools and colleges for sixteen years before she became a full-time artist.
Her unique mixed technique of embroidering her paintings on paper, is her signature work and to date she has accumulated numerous awards since moving to France in 1996.
Ann has exhibited worldwide, Brazil, Cambodia, USA,China, Russia, U.A.E, Australia, Japan and in Europe. Several pieces are in various museums, such as MOLA, European Art Museum in Denmark and Marie Curie Foundation, also corporate collections in China, Japan and UK. She is represented by Shoalhaven Fine Art Gallery, Australia, G&C Gallery and Paola Trevisan International.
Art & Design Magazine.UK
Ann Dunbar, an award winning mixed media artist from UK, living in France, has a figurative style using impressionistic method in a contemporary way. She embroiders onto her water colour paintings, layer by layer, thread by thread, with a wide range of tones and hues. The expressive artwork results in enriching the surface detail with added luminosity and depth. The overall effect is mind blowing, often stirring emotional responses with meditative and peaceful feelings.
FB Fan &Artist SV. 2022.
Ann's inner soul and reflective thoughts on her art.
FB Fan &Artist SV. 2022.
Ann's inner soul and reflective thoughts on her art.
Je dois dire que les oeuvres d'Ann D. sont de plus en plus "bavardes"... merveilleusement bavardes... au point de parler à bien plus que nos yeux... tous nos sens sont en éveil !
Ses aquarelles nous racontent d'abord de délicates émotions qui nous effleurent, et puis les conversations s'enchaînent joyeusement : ses embellissements brodés, enrichis de chatoyants fils métallisés et d'autres techniques, subliment les volumes jusqu'à devenir extraordinairement vivants.
Je reste très impressionnée du "jeu de plumes" du "Peacock Majesty" récemment terminé par Ann... les merveilleuses plumes du paon sortent de la toile... bruissent et froufrouttent, jusqu'à venir nous caresser... c'est bien au-delà de la 3D! On voit, on entend, le mouvement arrive sur notre peau, et enfin de merveilleuses émotions nous soulèvent et nous entraînent dans le plus beau des voyages intérieurs.
Les mots ne suffiront pas pour capturer les émotions qu'Ann D. a glissées dans cette œuvre si spéciale, ni pour décrire celles qui nous parviennent comme de doux parfums et ce que nous, spectateurs, en faisons. Toute ma reconnaissance à la délicieuse artiste Ann D. qui est à la croisée des chemins entre peinture et poésie sublime.
KB. Collector
KB. Collector
REVIEWS & TESTIMONIALS
"Votre art, aquarelles rehaussées de broderies multicolores, m'inspire et me fascine à la fois, par l'allégresse que vous mettez dans chacune de vos compositions. La richesse des couleurs, l'évocation, l'illustration de la nature, me transportent dans la béatitude, la félicité de chacun des sujets proposés.
Au travers de vos oeuvres, je me revois assise à ma table d'école, l'aiguille à la main, et m'obstinant à reproduire par la broderie , chaque planche mise à ma disposition, garnie de croquis ensoleillés de fleurs et de guirlandes. C'est ainsi que j'appris la couture, avec une institutrice patiente, et dont je garde un agréable souvenir. Chacune de vos oeuvres me rappellent ces moments de félicité. Et je vous en remercie".
"Votre art, aquarelles rehaussées de broderies multicolores, m'inspire et me fascine à la fois, par l'allégresse que vous mettez dans chacune de vos compositions. La richesse des couleurs, l'évocation, l'illustration de la nature, me transportent dans la béatitude, la félicité de chacun des sujets proposés.
Au travers de vos oeuvres, je me revois assise à ma table d'école, l'aiguille à la main, et m'obstinant à reproduire par la broderie , chaque planche mise à ma disposition, garnie de croquis ensoleillés de fleurs et de guirlandes. C'est ainsi que j'appris la couture, avec une institutrice patiente, et dont je garde un agréable souvenir. Chacune de vos oeuvres me rappellent ces moments de félicité. Et je vous en remercie".
FN Cliente, 2022
We just received our beautiful art work from Ann Dunbar, "Rainbow Botanicals". seeing it in our home rather online is wonderful and it really comes alive, bringing the essence of summer into our home. it will bring us joy for years to come. Thankyou.
I met Ann Dunbar on a visit to Versailles last June (2016). she was preparing for a vernissage, so I had a chance to chat and preview her mixed media art work. What caught my attention was her style using a water colour background with embroidery in the foreground and accents. I felt she had an exceptional grasp of this aesthetic. A few days later, I returned to her vernissage event with my wife, and purchased a lovely landscape called "Blowing in the wind"
Working with Ann Dunbar has been a delightful and lovely experience as she reflects the essence of her personality in her artwork.
Her lightness, her love of life and her joy are reflected in her artwork full of bright colours, chromatic touches, graceful notes and elegance.
Her work is a composition of elements and details that exalt the beauty of her motifs and messages.
The movement of her brushstrokes are the result of her great experience, patience and enormous talent.
Ann plays with light in a surprising way and the texture of her embroideries gives to her artworks a very personal touch of peace and harmony ... peace and harmony that she herself cherishes in her heart and soul and that she kindly wants to share with the viewer creating interesting reactions in the audience.
The elements with which she works take you out of reality as in a dream of pleasant fantasies.
Thank you dear Ann for enriching the Water for Life events and supporting with your artwork our important message of prevention and care for nature and WATER.
Angelina Herrera
International Cultural Promoter/ Art Event Coordinator
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Her lightness, her love of life and her joy are reflected in her artwork full of bright colours, chromatic touches, graceful notes and elegance.
Her work is a composition of elements and details that exalt the beauty of her motifs and messages.
The movement of her brushstrokes are the result of her great experience, patience and enormous talent.
Ann plays with light in a surprising way and the texture of her embroideries gives to her artworks a very personal touch of peace and harmony ... peace and harmony that she herself cherishes in her heart and soul and that she kindly wants to share with the viewer creating interesting reactions in the audience.
The elements with which she works take you out of reality as in a dream of pleasant fantasies.
Thank you dear Ann for enriching the Water for Life events and supporting with your artwork our important message of prevention and care for nature and WATER.
Angelina Herrera
International Cultural Promoter/ Art Event Coordinator
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°