Ann Gadd painting: JAN VAN SKAAP

We are the canvas and, as such, are both the creator and the creation." Ann Gadd from the Preface of The Collector's Guide to Art and Artists in South Africa. Chase Publications for the South African Institute of Artists & Designers, Cape Town, 2003 A vibrant and prolific artist, whose energetic works excite both the public and gallery owners. Ann constantly explores new ways and dynamics in painting and subject matter. Her quirky, humorous, yet profound insightful art asks questions that provoke the viewer to seek answers to. Ann has an exceptionally rich spectrum of professional and personal experience, abilities and talents to draw from. - Her overall expression is one of change through consciousness and creation. Having spent nearly two decades as a Commercial Artist, Cartoon Book Illustrator, Creative and Art Director in the advertising arena and as a co-director of an advertising agency, Ann began to indulge her passion for painting more seriously. She has participated in a large number of group and solo exhibitions and her paintings and constructions now hang both internationally and locally. In addition, Ann is a published writer, journalist, teacher and facilitator of Transformational Art workshops targeting corporate, domestic and educational target markets. "I believe we start by learning to express ourselves creatively in the physical form. If we pursue this passion with courage, diligence and discipline, we come to the realization that we are the canvas: - and as such, are both the creator and the creation. Creativity then becomes who we are, not just what we hang on the wall." - Ann Gadd Ann's imagination has carried her into an exploration of many different subjects. Initially she painted landscapes, nudes and still lives using exciting, bright colour combinations which reflected the rich vibrancy of Africa. Since 2001, Ann has moved more into the areas of Conceptual Art, Landscape pieces, 3 Dimensional works and Palindromes, sometimes utilising her experience as a cartoonist and her propensity to see through cultural norms, to question her world. Ann constantly pushes the boundaries, exploring new ideas and concepts. Her Palindrome paintings use humour to question the icons of the world In this game of words, what appears to read in one direction may also be read in another, thus what comes around goes around. Through their reversal, Palindromes mirror the shadow sides of ourselves, ask questions for which there is no answer and with their absurdity and humour, push us to challenge our beliefs and understanding of reality. More recently her sheep paintings have been a phenomenal success, taking an humoristic view of both the corporate and IT worlds, as well as other aspects of society. Through these successes she has become one of South Africa's best selling artists. Ann works in Cape Town, is married to artist Anthony and has two children and numerous pets