Artist statement

Recently, I was invited to submit a short reflection on “Why We Create Art” to an author writing a nonfiction book about looted art during World War II. I don’t know if my submission will be accepted into the book, but the experience of writing this reflection helped me truly think about my art and what it means to create it. Here is the reflection I submitted…

“I enjoy creating something beautiful with my own hands that I care about. And, when someone else sees the beauty and care in my work, I have this deep feeling of “being seen”.

Making art is like breathing to me. It is something I have to do. It’s not a job or a diversion. It’s what I think about in the middle of the night if I’m trying to visualize a new piece of work or solve a challenge. It’s trying to squeeze more time in my studio, every single day.

This need to create has been with me since childhood. I’ve always been curious to learn new art skills and combine ideas. When I see something inspirational (e.g., another piece of art, new objects, images, or techniques), my mind dives into the possibilities of being creative in a different way, using that inspiration as a starting point.

At times, creating art is a way to express or release big emotions. Or, it’s a way to quiet them, finding that peaceful, meditative place and settling into it. At other times, I create just to relax and have fun in my studio.

I’ve spent my lifetime fitting creativity into the edges and corners of my professional and family life and now feel grateful for the ability to create more freely.”

- Anne Stuer

artist bio

Anne grew up in southern New Hampshire and currently lives in Western Maine. She took classes in drawing and painting as a child, and after moving to Maine in 1994, she continued to explore the world of art. In workshops and classes, Anne learned several techniques and media, including watercolor, acrylic, pastels, mask-making, clay and more.

Anne signed up for her first encaustic workshop with Kim Bernard at the Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine, in 2015. This ancient art medium ignited a new creative passion within her. She broadened her skills by taking more workshops with encaustic instructors, Emma Ashby, in New Hampshire, Jorge Luis Bernal in New Mexico, and Dietlind Vander Schaaf in Maine.

During the winter of 2021, Anne took an online course where she learned the technique called “Cyanotype Alternative Photography” from Shari Replogle. She combines this new technique with her encaustic skills and enjoys making original cyanotype prints throughout the year with foliage from her own yard and surrounding area. Beginning in May of 2022, Anne spent a year in an online creative retreat called “Painting with Fire”, learning more techniques from a wide variety of encaustic instructors from around the world.