WANDERINGS: Graphite Drawings by AnaMarie Liddell

Meet the Artist - AnaMarie Liddell

Born in the Netherlands into a family with a rich artistic tradition, AnaMarie continues to be influenced and inspired by her heritage and memories. Her parents encouraged artistic endeavors and often went on family visits to museums. Her father, who was an engineer by profession, pursued his love of art both by studying the masters and by his own practice of drawing, painting and sculpting. One of her most treasured memories is her father teaching her how to draw when she was young.
After graduating from Sweet Briar College with a degree in studio art as well as a certification in arts management, AnaMarie pursued her art and for many years was also the exhibitions manager at the UVA Art Museum. This position exposed her to a fine art collection that offered a myriad of techniques, concepts, and historical perspectives.
Currently, she works exclusively in her home studio located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her daily wanderings through the landscape inspire and remind her of the awe and wonder of the natural world and it is this feeling that drives her art. In her drawings, she reflects the Dutch tradition of respect for nature and delight in simplicity. All her thoughts and ideas are inspired by nature for it is there that her personal version of reality comes alive. She translates her thoughts and ideas into metaphors through her graphite drawings so that her art becomes the fulfillment of her inner vision.

AnaMarie is an award-winning artist who has exhibited extensively throughout the country.

Artist Statement

The process of meticulously rendering graphite into soft atmospheric subtlety results in quiet, lyrical landscapes that evoke a myriad of emotions and memories. In nature I am aware of the sacredness of the temporal limits of earth and at the same moment impassioned by the hint of the unseen. The essence of life for me is experienced in simple moments that often induce a sharp intake of breath and provoke a deep transcending joy. The horizon especially entices me, for it is where earth meets heaven and the heart can soar to the ineffable. The mesmeric process of careful observation, which is at the root of my art work, is enhanced by the use of graphite pencils. Working with graphite fascinates me. This naturally-occurring organic carbon is intimately and completely integrated with the images that I create. Grounded in realism, the large scale drawings navigate between reality and interpreted vision. Eliminating all references to color, the monochromatic palette enables exploration into a scene simply and directly and with a sense of abstracted reality. Manipulating dark and light through a myriad of tonal contrasts is a form of meditation that goes beyond representation to where, layer upon layer, delicate strokes and nuances convey an ethereal, serene image. The graphite drawings - with their muted palates, minimal compositions, and hushed tones - evoke a recurring theme in my work: the fragility of the natural world. The works reflect a profound respect and awe and are a poetic statement rather than a literal representation of nature. Ultimately, the drawings become an opportunity for the viewer to peer closely, to attain a sense of calm and to open their imagination to the intrinsic beauty and wonders of the natural world.