"Dissolve the boundaries and colour outside the lines." Anna Horsnell
Artist's Statement: “I was mesmerized by the power and potential of art from the moment I picked up a crayon as a child, the adults instructing me to colour within the lines. I’m still in awe after years of exploration and experimentation, the act of creation an instinctual part of who I am. I’m still striving to reach farther, to take chances, to hopefully create art that makes a difference. Happily, colouring outside the lines has become my mantra.
My name is Anna Horsnell and painting has always been a natural language to express myself. My abstract work may begin with an idea or theme, but I also love spontaneity, to listen and do what the subject or idea needs to express itself. This often means a particular series of paintings may deviate slightly from past work in style and intent. I also do a great deal of preparation before I ever touch the canvas, considering an idea from all angles, researching background if required be it social context or scientific fact, sketching, and thinking, and reaching for the emotional heart of something beyond words. That journey can be scary and revealing, opening yourself up in a very public way. Still I know of nothing as satisfying or as endlessly challenging."
Canadian Anna Horsnell has been painting for over 45 years. First recognized as a landscape painter, today she is most known for her abstract work. She exhibits regularly and her paintings hang in public and private collections across North America, including the Art Bank of Nova Scotia. She is a current member of Visual Arts Nova Scotia (VANS), Canadian Artist Representation (CARFAC), and the Copyright Collective (CARCC). Anna also interviews and writes about other visual artists with articles published in various regional and national magazines, newspapers and online articles.
Featured in Issue #86 and #94
Career Highlights (Full CV available upon request)
Selected Solo Exhibits
Selected Solo Exhibits
- April 2020, "Earthlings", 14 Bells Fine Art Gallery, Halifax, NS
- February 2016, "The Sarah Diaries", Snider Family Gallery, NSCC Ivany Campus, Dartmouth, NS
- June 2013, "Ever Present: Clayworks and Paintings" (with Carol Smeraldo), Swoon Fine Art, Hammonds Plains, NS
- May 2012, "Gemini" two-month exhibit, Saint John Arts Centre, Saint John, NB
- July 2011, "The Art of Jazz" exhibit commemorating great jazz standards, Craig Gallery, Dartmouth, NS
- December 2008, "Beyond Understanding", Art Sales and Rental Gallery, Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Halifax, NS
- March 2008, "Journey to Abstraction" (introductory exhibit of abstract work), Craig Gallery, Dartmouth, NS
- July 2013, Antoinette Stevens Award for Best Acrylic, Society of Canadian Artists Elected Members Juried Exhibit, Toronto, Ontario
- December/January 2014 and August 2012, International Artist Magazine, Finalist Award in Abstract/Experimental Art Competition
- November 2009, Canadian Progress Club Women of Excellence Award for Arts and Culture, Halifax, NS
- 2023, Feature interview on Gallery 902, Eastlink television
- 2021, Featured in Arabella Magazine, Volume 2, Issue #1, February 2021
- 2013, Featured in International Artist Magazine Issue #94, December/January 2014
- 2012, Featured in International Artist Magazine Issue #86, August/September
- 2011, Featured in the book, "International Women Celebrate!", book by AyrSpace Gallery, Ayr, Ontario in celebration of the 100th Anniversary of International Women's Day
- 2010, Featured artist in “Nova Scotia’s Contemporary Artists: Volume II”, book by Dee Appleby
- 2010 and 2008, Paintings purchased by Nova Scotia Art Bank, Halifax, NS
- May 2010, Elected as juried member of the Society of Canadian Artists
- September 2007 to June 2011, Visual Arts Nova Scotia Regional Representative, Board Member