Artist's Statement
The dichotomies of life - the push and pull of growth and decay, the passing of time and gaining of experience, the scars and marks collected throughout life - are the themes I pursue when painting. I look for opposites, such as a hint of sorrow in brightness, uncertainty alongside assurance, or humor hiding in the darkness. Meaning, rather than perfection, is what I aim to create in a painting.Most of my works are highly textured because an important part of my process is to take away, paint over, or even destroy. Paint is scraped on and scraped off. All this back and forth contributes to the final surface texture. Although I occasionally paint with acrylics, my current mediums of choice are oil and oil with cold wax. I find these mediums have great capability for experimental texture and carving back into the painting. The additional open time of oils lets me watch the painting and make edits. I often work small out of necessity because of the size of my living space. I use cradled birch panel, hardboard panel, stretched canvas, and Arches oil paper as my substrates.
Bio
Anna Cate Franklin has an A.A.S. in
Digital Media (Design Track) from Asheville-Buncombe Technical
Community College, NC, and a B.A. in Theatre from Anderson
University, SC. Anna started painting with acrylics when she was 8.
Although she focused on technology and performing arts in her college
years, she took art and design courses and continued to draw and
paint throughout school. After spending several years focusing on
digital photography, she started painting non-representational art.
Although still interested in acrylics and mixed media, oil and oil
with cold wax medium is her current focus because of its potential
for texture and blending.
She currently resides in NC with her husband, Steven Bailey. They both enjoy writing,
volunteering in community theatre, and digital photography.
Press
Fleur and Arbor: Q&A with... Anna FranklinDesign Sponge: 14 Abstract Painters to Follow on Instagram