Annabel Wood
“There is a certain something of the soul in the eyes of the beheld which, if one relaxes and opens one’s own soul, can be translated into the work.”
Annabel works in various media including soft pastel, charcoal, graphite pencil, alcohol marker, acrylic and oil. Her work to date includes commissions of people, pets, houses and inanimate objects. When time allows she also creates projects of her own and regularly attends local life drawing sessions.
Of her artistic purpose she writes, “It is not just the reproduction of a likeness which fascinates me, we have photos for that. It is the telling of a story. That and the skill and trickery of the eye required to create a seemingly three dimensional presence (be it animal, object or abstract) on a two dimensional plane.”
After a 35 year “hiatus”, Annabel came back to art as a career option when her 9-5 administration job ended at the beginning of lockdown. “It really was the best thing that could have happened.” she now recounts, “I rediscovered my latent talent and have been working hard against the negative thoughts and lack of confidence which took me away from fine art as a living all those years ago.”
Another creative outlet Annabel enjoys (discovered during the Covid Lockdowns) is making fibre art dolls. Examples of some of these will be on display and available for sale during BEAT. And if there is time she may be demonstrating some of the techniques used in their making, such as needle felting and developing patterns from sketched ideas.
Fun Fact: Annabel is also an actress and has worked sporadically over the years under her professional name, Annabel Cleare. Her biggest claim to fame (so far!) was a small “cameo” role in Doctor Who.
