Annie Clay
Places hidden in plain sight; buildings and objects in the often urban landscape that may otherwise go unnoticed. Annie's ability to find beauty in the ordinary is a hallmark of her artistic style.
Annie is an artist renowned for her beautifully observed landscapes that capture the essence of everyday life with a trademark touch of whimsy. Annie’s background in textile design brings a unique viewpoint to her work, infusing her paintings with intricate patterns, incredible detail and vibrant colours.
Her work is close to photo-realistic in places yet accompanied by perspective elements so masterfully distorted that your eyes are sure to dance over the canvas with joy!
Her paintings commonly depict places hidden in plain sight; buildings and objects in the often urban landscape that may otherwise go unnoticed. Annie's ability to find beauty in the ordinary is a hallmark of her artistic style. Through her work, she invites viewers to pause and appreciate the subtle details of their surroundings. Each work grabs you with its initial gravitas, backed up by detail upon detail for you to find and re-find.
Whether it's a quaint cottage nestled in a quiet village, bustling city street or a well-loved toy, Annie’s paintings evoke a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. Her work is both visually appealing and thought-provoking, inviting viewers to reflect on their own experiences and connections to the world around them. Since becoming a mother, Annie has been delving into an ever changing stream of experience, finding catharsis and joy in creating from the world around her.
I first found Annie’s work ‘Positive News’ as part of the collection of art by Bristol based artists that still adorns the city’s Artist Residence restaurant and bar. She has since been selected by Lubaina Himid to produce billboard artwork in Bristol as part of the RWA's ‘Found Cities; Lost Objects: Women in the City’ exhibition in August 2023 and has most recently been selected for the prestigious 2024 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for her original painting ‘Churngold’.