Oil Paintings
by Annie Guthrie Gudis

I paint things that I love to see and the way they make me feel. It’s as simple as that. Sometimes the paintings are stories, metaphors, or just fantasies.

I’m intrigued by the relationship between earth and sky. I see stunning clouds from my studio window all year long. They are in constant motion and I’m fascinated by this abstract ballet.
My paintings are layered oils on canvas. I begin with a white surface on which I apply a multi-colored ground. Next I mix paint: my favorite task. Working with exquisite paint is like squeezing jewels from tubes. I establish a light source and an horizon, flavoring the compositions with yellows, pinks and violets appropriate to a time of day, season and weather. Then I follow the lead of what I have created….

My inspiration in sparked by gazing at the heavens over salt ponds and seagrass and from laughing gulls, egrets and eagles that I meet at the beach - especially off season. My passion to paint is ignited by the views from the Brooklyn/Queens Expressway, the GW Bridge, or the farms of Delaware and Virginia, and practically everywhere I travel. Often I’m moved to paint by songs or musical instruments.

When I was a child my father would buy me big red helium balloons at the near by National Zoo and I fell in love with them. To this day they still raise my spirits and lift my spirits.
The work of Michelangelo has always informed mine and I have twice traveled to Italy where I was fortunate to see the Sistine Chapel both before and after cleaning restoration. I am also moved by the paintings of Vermeer, Edward Hopper, and my fellow artists.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my work and welcome commission projects to suit a particular environment or location.