Ann Ben Shalom

I have a BA in fine art from UC Berkeley. Having just retired from careers as a Sign Language Interpreter and then a Preschool Teacher, I am now devoting all my time to painting. I have exhibited in a show called Things With Wings at the ACCI Gallery, Berkeley.
I paint intuitive abstracts and semi-abstracts in acrylics. Starting with play, I try to tap into the unselfconscious, non-judgmental curiosity of young children, exploring colors, marks, shapes, textures, and brushstrokes, playing with different tools, responding to what I see on the canvas, layering, covering up and removing paint until something emerges that surprises and excites me. I love both the serious and the whimsical, responding to emotions, songs, stories, places both real and imagined. One day I might paint a vase of flowers, and another day a tiger with wings might show up. I love going into the studio not knowing what I’m going to do. Every painting is a new adventure. It requires trust that something will come from nothing. Embracing the uncertainty.