About Ann Mitchell

I paint women who have lived.

For years, my work has returned to women, memory, resilience, vulnerability and the marks life leaves behind. I'm drawn to beauty, but also to things that are a little strange, unexpected or difficult to explain.

Working from The Far Room, my studio in County Offaly, Ireland, I create contemporary figurative paintings in oil, gold leaf, mica and mixed media.

My paintings develop slowly through layers of paint, collage, scraping back and reworking. Sometimes the marks I almost remove become the most interesting part of a painting. I've learned to leave room for those surprises.

I don't want to tell the viewer exactly what to see or feel. I prefer to leave something unresolved, allowing people to find their own meaning in the work.

My practice is continuing to evolve. I'm becoming increasingly interested in the human body, animals, the natural world and the unexpected relationships between them. I'm curious about what happens when something beautiful also feels a little unsettling.

I don't know exactly where this will lead, and that's part of what excites me.

My paintings are held in private collections across Ireland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia and France.

I am currently undertaking a Master of Fine Art (MFA) at Limerick School of Art & Design, Technological University of the Shannon.