Ann Wood art review

Ann Wood, an American artist, has a unique vitality in her works that captivates viewers and makes them want to take a closer look. Finding a new creative path in her fifties, she now boasts an impressive following of over 120,000 on Instagram. Her realistic and original creations stem from her innovative techniques and meticulous research. Let's explore the world of this artist who possesses keen observation skills and a pursuit of detail.

Growing up on her father's farm, surrounded by animals and plants, Ann Wood developed a deep appreciation for the natural world from an early age. Her ability to create such lifelike paper art is undoubtedly influenced by her formative years. With a background in vocational school and university education, she became a mixed-media artist, skilled in woodworking, embroidery, and oil painting.

Before delving into paper art, Ann Wood and her husband co-owned the Woodlucker studio for 20 years, specializing in sculpture and paper-cut cards. On the last day of her father's life, he pointed to the outdoor plants and praised their beauty. Those words from her father stayed with Ann, and she felt a profound connection between herself and flowers. When she discovered paper flower artworks on Instagram, she immediately began her own creations. Starting with paper flowers, her repertoire expanded over four years to encompass a wall filled with hundreds of floral, fruit, feather, and insect pieces.

Approaching 60 years of age, Ann Wood exudes youthfulness and energy as she poses against a wall adorned with flowers and fruits.

Inventing her own techniques, starting with botanical dissection

Entering the realm of paper art in her fifties, Ann Wood brings decades of artistic experience to the table. From the beginning, she developed her own methods, opting for a variety of handcrafted papers with different thicknesses, rather than the commonly used crepe paper favored by other paper flower artists. While she initially referenced illustrations from botanical books, she has since shifted her approach, starting with dissecting flowers and vegetables and meticulously studying their textures and structures.

Once her research is complete, Ann Wood combines paper and fine wire, employing embroidery scissors as her primary tools in what she calls the "scissor painting technique." After shaping the basic forms, she adds color using acrylic paints or colored pencils.