Description
ARTIST STATEMENT
What I create, mainly figures and abstractions, are excavations into the soul. It’s always edgy. I am never sure my original vision is adequately represented. I’m very humble when beginning. I know I might not pull it off. Sometimes images feel too revealing, too raw, to put out there. I do it anyway or I would be endlessly redoing work. The more I create, the better I know myself and the more connected to the world I am. There is no perfection. I just keep learning and growing. My work reflects that. I think people are drawn to my work because deep down it inspires insight into their own spirit journey.
I am compelled to interpret this strong inner feeling. It deepens an understanding of myself and of the world. It speaks to my audience in a visual, felt way which is then solely their experience. That’s the beauty of it. We are both awakened in different ways by the same artwork. The more authentically I transfer soulfully onto canvas, the more powerfully it speaks to viewer. It connects us to each other and at the same time separately defines us.
My work is inspired and informed by life: literature, theater, poetry. . . the old giving way to the new; footprints of courage and resilience leaving a mark on the soul. The past offers memories, longing, states of mind, feelings. The present fosters an understanding of who we are. Old handmade quilts, cracked tea cups, frayed walls, worn floors, inspire a deeper story. It’s so personal. And vulnerable.
My process is generally the same; my tools vary. I use, crayons, pencils, markers, oil sticks, charcoal, ink, graphite, collage ephemera, canvas, wood, rice paper, acrylic and house paint. I create and destroy the surface of the canvas over and over, again and again. Brushing, swiping, tearing, gluing, sanding, erasing, covering. . . until the story tells itself. Like life’s endless layers. We go through it building and tearing down, then rebuilding. It is a natural process.
The colors I use are part of the story, sometimes soft and subdued covering over the bright and brash. Sometimes, the other way around. Reflecting the ebb and flow, the rushing forward and pulling back. It’s an act of discovery. The more successful I am in that process, the more the viewer can partner with me in the unique message. I don’t think I ever get it just right. I let go of perfection over and over again. Telling the story doesn’t require perfection, I remind myself. Making art is a process of both discovery and repeatedly letting go.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Phyllis Anne, Pánne first made her mark in the artworld when at 17, a sculpture she made was selected to tour the State of Kansas appearing in various venues, schools and artist gatherings. Her bright journey was interrupted by family difficulties. Heartbroken, she supported herself with various jobs which funded living in Colorado, California and New York. Eventually returning to academia she earned degrees in business and counseling psychology and a license to practice psychotherapy. In healing others, she healed herself. She soon was travelling the world teaching therapists on three continents. Taking advantage of proximity, she visited artist studios, galleries and museums worldwide which inspired a return to the art world. Continuing to run her clinic, she opened her first studio in California and shifted to Kansas City in 2024. Her work has appeared in multiple venues across the United States. She plans to continue working locally and showing nationally and internationally.
© Pánne Ally