l o c a l a r t i s t
Artwork that Awakens the Senses Anna Sweet’s timeless pieces represent the beauty of the world’s best beaches B y Te s s F a r m e r
Anna Sweet in her studio
P hotorealistic aerial ocean and gulf scenes by artist Anna Sweet are currently on display in local art gallery Curate30a in Rosemary Beach. Inspired by the many beaches Sweet has scouted throughout her years of underwater photogra- phy, her original works are created by mixing resin with a combination of acrylic pigments and minerals. “Anna’s art captures the quintessential beauty of our gulf waters here along the Emerald Coast,” says Gary Handler, gallery owner of Curate30a. “Many often mistake her work as photography since the depiction is so vivid and realistic, they invite the viewer to truly jump in!” Sweet manipulates paint colors and spreads them across wooden art panels, producing effects of lacing and webbing to mimic the serenity and life of the ocean. Each piece is layered with levels of color and translucent resin providing the viewer with a stunning three- dimensional representation of the sea from above. Creating her work from the shores of Hawaii, Florida, and now Oregon, Sweet creates custom shapes, sizes, and even usable surfboards. Raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, above her mother’s art gallery, Sweet and her nine siblings were immersed in the art world from a young age. Inspired by the light of the sun and the movement of the body, Sweet’s hand evokes the dynamic sensuality of beauty in motion, capturing transient moments of swim, dance, and the crashing of a wave. Her first family vacation was to Destin where she remembers thinking, “A place like this actually exists?” She recalls the beauty and vibrancy of the water’s color and contrasting sand. Her mom bought her a video camera that trip and she captured the beauty of the Emerald Coast for the very first time. It would be years
later that she’d develop a career inspired by the majestic waters of the world. With a love of photography developed in high school, she attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City to follow her dreams of becoming a full-time artist. She then decided to pursue internships in photog- raphy to hone her craft and ended up working for one of her main influencers, fashion photographer Rankin, in London. That role was grueling and led her to realize if she worked half as hard at developing her own career she’d move ahead even faster. She started to develop a series out of some underwa- ter images she had shot a year prior. She developed her own style by experimenting and continuing to try new techniques. “Ultimately, I wanted to bring my images to life,” says Sweet. “I began experimenting with resin from a body shop, and different materials such as mica and glass, as well as acrylic paints that I had become so famil- iar with growing up beside my mother who restored classic artworks for a living. A few months later I had my first five images and I applied for a London street arts festival. Things took off from there.” A visit to see her mom in Miami was all it took to remind her of the inspiration and rejuvenation she need- ed living in a warmer climate near the beach. She contin- ued learning and growing her collection, expanding to new galleries from New York to Hawaii. She then moved to Key West where she met her husband and in 2017 started her own gallery there until last year when the family moved with their two young daughters outside of Portland, Oregon.
Sweet continues to marry mediums and explore new things through her form, focusing on quality and bring- ing even more dimension to her pieces, while focusing on the sustainability of her craft. She and her husband are also creating their own sustainable winery and farm in Oregon, another creative endeavor she’s learning a lot about. Sweet’s collections are available through galleries across the country, including here in Rosemary Beach. Curate30a regularly hosts exclusive shows and live painting performances that allow the artist and collector to connect, adding immeasurable value to each acquisition and making the process of collecting truly personal. “Anna’s work is captivating and authentically represents the beauty of the Emerald Coast,” adds Handler. “Being able to take home a piece of art that emulates your vacation is a rare opportunity. We invite visitors and locals to allow us to assist you in creating a collection that inspires your surroundings.”
Curate30a, 72 Main St. Rosemary Beach, (850) 231- 1808. Mon-Sat: 10am – 9pm, Sunday: 12pm – 8pm IG: @curate30a, Curate30a.com
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