Ann Altman, Paint & Write the Town Judge (Visual Art)
Short story- an Artist’s Life
My hometown of Boston was and is a city of culture- schools and museums dominate the landscape. Often in my youth, I spent time wandering (blessedly free to the public in those days) galleries of the Museum of Fine Arts. Reconstructed tombs from ancient Egypt, with their stylized figures in paint and stone, were among my favorites.
In elementary school every Friday afternoon was devoted to art. We explored ideas from color theory to the peculiarities of George Washington’s portraits. Outside of school sibling rivalry ruled the day in academics and in art. We created early encaustic paintings using melted (in the sun) wax crayons on the back porch.
As a teenager I was intrigued by Frank Lloyd-Wright, John Ruskin, Le Cobusier and the Bauhaus. To be an architect was my intention, driven by interest in mathematics and geometry. When I entered college, however, my ambitions were quickly derailed in favor of painting. There was so much to learn AND it was and is fun.
40+ years later (Here I skip over swing shifts at the factory, back-to-the land-, dancing to fiddle music in a pickers’ shack in Hood River, cabinetmaking, marriage, parenthood. Every time I touch a brush to canvas I learn something still. My creative life has been spent in a search for beauty and meaning. Over the years I have used a variety of media: stained glass, wool, colored pencil, collage, oil pastels, and, and… Recently I have returned to my roots as a painter- with side trips into printmaking. The search for truth and beauty continues.
More can be seen on her website: https://annaltman.com
Art by Ann Altman
