Ann Kelly was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. She trained for a year in the Atelier Corlin in Paris before receiving her BA Fine Arts at the University of the Witwatersrand.
She has travelled extensively and lived with her family in both Hong Kong and Sydney. Today her home and studio are in Lyon, France. Ann has always been a very spiritual person, interested in meditation and alternative healing. Twenty years teaching chromotherapy inspired her direction in making large colourfield paintings.
Ann expresses her inner self through the emotional and spiritual impact of colour. She has exhibited widely in her home city of Lyon and participated in shows in Italy , Germany, Australia and South Africa.
Her work is in private collections in the USA, Japan, South Africa, Germany, Italy, England and France. She is represented by the Metamorphik Gallery in Ste Foy lès Lyon.
I am an abstract painter and I love colour. I work in a free intuitive manner beginning always with one base colour which serves as a catalyst for the creative process. Using generous quantities of creamy paint and wide rubber brushes and spatulas, or my hands, the works are spontaneous and expressive. I am primarily interested in the creative process, and I let go of a specific outcome. The sensual painterly qualities and colour choices evoke certain feelings and atmospheres, that are both intimate and personal, and yet timeless and universal. I favour a large vertical format which allows the viewer to be immersed in the colour rays. Recently to make my paintings more accessible, I have started to write about them, giving specific words to the feelings and energies of the colours, for example « I am Love » or « I am Hope » or « I am Joy » My paintings are doorways or portals to other dimensions, and I am interested in the larger picture, our solar system, the galaxy, and the universe. My painting practice has grown out of intense work with colour. This deep mystical colour journey is profound, mysterious and magical, always evolving.
Curriculum Vitae
TRAINING
• ARTMBA, IFA, online. 2020
• Vedic art training, Transcendental Art, Poland. 2016
• Chromotherapy training, Art and Science Academy of Colour Therapeutics (ASIACT), Lincolnshire, England. 2002/15. • Master’s in Education, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1989
• Fine Arts and Art History, University Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. 1985/88.
• Art training, Atelier Corlin, Paris. 1984.
RECENT EXHIBITIONS
• Nov 2021-111desArts, Hôtel de Ville, Lyon, France
October 2021- Quatro, Galeries de la Tour, Vieux Lyon, France
• April 2021- Duo, Grand Hotel , Vienne, France
• Dec 2020 – The Gift of Art, Cael Gallery, Milan, Italy
• Nov 2020 - 111desArts, Lyon, France
• Nov 2020 – 309 days in, 57 to go, Azaro Art Gallery, Hamburg, Germany
• Oct 2019 – Regards en Voyage, Galeries de la Tour. Lyon, France
• May 2019 – Portals, Le Prisme. Lyon, France
• Dec –2018/19 Savannah Silk, Gallery on Windsor, Cape Town, South Africa
• Nov 2018 – Chroma, Metamorphik Gallery, solo show, Ste Foy lès Lyon, France
• May 2017 - Salon de printemps, Quai de Bondy, Lyon, France
• Dec 2016 - Metamorphik Gallery Ste Foy lès Lyon, France
• April 2016 - Art3f Lyon Eurexpo, Lyon, France
• April 2016 – Fifty, Lyinc, solo show, Lyon, France
• May 2016 - Salon de printemps, Artistes en liberté, Lyon, France
• April 2013 – Luxe, calme et volupté Exhibition Lyinc solo show, Lyon, France
• May 2013 - The people are revolting, bare life, Magnetic Island, Queensland, Australia
Praise for Ann
« I love the painting so much, its pure love and gentleness and pure angelic energy. To me its fascinating it looks so different from the photo, its so radiant in the feeling and in the energy which is the most important thing. I’m very grateful you made it for me. Its a big story that I can have such a beautiful painting of yours. »
« Diving into your colours does me such alot of good! Nobody knows how to put colours together the way you do. Each combination is surprising and yet so obvious . My need for colour is completely satisfied by the beauty of your painting. »
« I have followed Ann and her painting for many years and have so loved seeing her progress into the exciting abstract painter she is today. Her works are alive with energy and meaning and have a depth to them that touches your soul. She is passionate about colour and her paintings make a bold statement and focal point in any space. I live with one of her large works in my home and it’s a pure delight. »
« I have been collecting Ann Lacroix’s work for over 20 years .My first purchases were two round encaustic paintings. The appeal for me of these works after all these years is Ann’s bold but sensitive use of colour and the ongoing meditative quality of the work which makes them a dynamic and living addition to my home. I never get tired of looking at them. »
« My interest in Ann’s shaped canvases is linked to her clever and arresting use of texture and colour and the intuitive way in which Ann uses the paint. In my two small oval works she masters the colour and allows the paint to take its own form. These abstract works are in my imagination landscapes , dreamscapes, moods and feelings. They constantly evolve for me. »
FAQs
Do You Ship Outside of France?
Yes I do.
International deliveries are a regular occurence. Large formats travel rolled up and need to be restretched when they arrive. This is easy to organise at an art shop, I can advise you. Some of my clients who are handy, do it themselves.
In France and Europe
I use local transport companies. They collect from me the works that are very carefully wrapped bubblewrap and strong cardboard, and then deliver it to you on a specific day. They will contact you a few days before drop off to organise an appropriate day and time. They usually give a 6 hour slot. The price of this service is surprisingly reasonable, and will be added to the cost of the painting.
Rest of The World
The work is carefully packed. It’s safe, secure and insured.
Do you take Paypal?
Yes. A bank transfer is also fine, whatever is easier for you. Just let me know which painting you are interested in and I can send you the relevent details.
As soon as payment is received the artwork will be made ready for shipping.
How can I see what it looks like in my space?
I can create a mock-up for you. Take a photograph of your space in question and I can insert the painting in the room. All I need is jpeg image and the size of something in the space so that I can gage the scale.
Do you work to commission?
I do – on projects that interest me.
Can I be kept up to date with your exhibitions and studio sales?