The Collections
Discover the inspiration behind Anne’s subject matter.
chairs
Anne Harkness' is perhaps best known for her oil paintings of chairs. Her paintings bring a sense of dignity and appreciation to a seemingly everyday item. In studying every detail of its craftsmanship, Anne's art goes beyond "capturing" a chair, and instead seems to personify them with a mood and personality all its own.
Shop Anne's award-winning collection of Chair paintings and begin to see the power of contemporary interiors in a whole new light.
ON chairs
A Note from the Artist
Regarding contemporary interiors, if you have asked, why chairs, here is what I think. They are graphic designs. They are architectural. They are sculptural. They are art in themselves that I did not create, I am just enjoying their beauty. They draw the viewer in to see color, shape and light.
The chair draws me into much more than the actual focal point or subject of a chair. Whereas, if I had painted a figure, the viewer may focus on the subject, primarily. But my hope is that the canvas has been activated to lead the viewer around the whole painting. Sometimes there are places I want the viewer to linger, and some places to speed up. There are some places to appreciate the nuances of the colors that are side by side and some places to just rest the eyes. There are marks that lead the viewer down a path and then around the corner and back up to the top.
But back to the subject of chairs... I see something in the chair that is intriguing, something I want to try to capture. Each chair offers a different feeling or mood that I want to grasp. I enjoy painting mid century modern chairs but not just mid century modern.
I have a friend who calls this my empty chair series. But I see each chair as full of promise and hope. In many cases, the chairs are inviting the viewer to come and sit, dine, chat, read, think or rest. They suggest here is an opportunity to slow down, ponder, take a moment for yourself. There can be a hint of a conversation already underway. A crowd can be invited to share in a meal. Many paintings invite us to recall days gone by. Some remind us of a relationship or a loved one now only remembered.
In a sense, they are portraits. Maybe they are portraits of the creator or designer. Somehow, whether regal or strong, stiff or relaxed, each seems to have a specific character and dignity.
What do my chair paintings suggest to you?
Telephone poles & industrial Scenes
Anne Harkness' original oil paintings of telephone poles and industrial scenes explore the relationship between Man vs. Nature and the subjective line dividing the beautiful from the grotesque.
Shop Anne's award-winning collection of Industrial Paintings to find beauty in the unordinary.
ON industrial scenes
A Note from the Artist
This collection, which I've also referred to as my Man vs. Nature series grew out of the Outskirts and Roads series.
Honestly, I stumbled upon it as I discovered what amazing 'things' I had made a purpose of eliminating from all my previous artwork. I had believed the man made structures to be unsightly, unfortunate, unsavory and a shame to have ruined such a beautiful natural surrounding with such a sight.
But now I am absolutely thrilled at the graphic structures loving their relationship or should I say ' the dance between them and the nature that surrounds them.
cityscapes & townscenes
Anne Harkness' original oil paintings of cityscapes and town scenes capture everything from urban landscapes to small town main streets. Her contemporary painting style brings both freshness and nostalgia to hometown America, capturing layers of history within the very layers of its paint.
ON cityscapes & towns
A Note from the Artist
This collection of cityscapes and townscapes was born directly out of my study on roads.
I simply followed where those roads took me, and found myself and my canvases nestled within the cozy urban corners of both small towns and bustling cities, particularly in and around my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
These urban landscapes were a new exercise in not "editing out" human touch from the view, but instead celebrating the beauty that even the traffic cones, the sidewalks, and the street signs lent to a once-untouched space.
SEASCAPES & WATER SCENES
Anne Harkness' original oil paintings of seascapes & coastal settings explore the endless color palettes of water scenes, from lake and marsh settings to beach sunsets and boats in motion or at rest in the harbor.
Capturing the distinctive marriage of a single moment's color and movement, Anne's paintings emphasize the unrepeatability (and therefore preciousness) of a second in time.
ON SEASCAPES & WATER
A Note from the Artist
Admittedly, seascapes and waterscapes in general were never a favorite subject of mine. But growing up in a lake region of North Carolina, and often traveling to the Carolina coasts and beyond, I almost couldn't help but explore the theme.
When my husband and I purchased our home on the lake, with my art studio claiming the best views in the house, it was inevitable that a waterscapes series would be born.
What fascinates me most is the endlessly shape-shifting nature of water. And perhaps therein lies the challenge I feel compelled to capture
LANDSCAPES
Anne Harkness' original oil paintings of natural landscapes and roads within landscapes explore two worlds: the untouched, and the just-barely-explored. Shop a collection of art inspired by America's diverse vistas, captured masterfully by Anne's unique use of both realist and abstracted color palettes and brush strokes.
Each piece in the collection is a truly original oil painting, without a single replica or copy made.
LANDSCAPES
A Note from the Artist
I like the challenge of a landscape.
No two are alike, and no two moments in which you paint them could ever lead to the exact same result. They are unmoving and yet constantly changing. And that's exactly what I think makes good art.
When I paint, I try to capture a sense of that evolution, of a life held within the painting itself, so that when my patrons hang it in their homes there always appears to be something new to see within it.
SMALL WORKS
It's rare to get a glimpse behind an Artist's easel. Anne Harkness invites us into the process with her one-of-a-kind contemporary oil painting Studies. These small-scale oil paintings capture Anne's determination to practice listening to her subject matter, allowing it to speak for itself on her canvas.
Looking for a smaller piece of original artwork? Anne's "Small Work" Studies are a celebration of the fine art process, not just the product.
Each piece in the collection is a truly original oil painting, without a single replica or copy made.
Small works
A Note from the Artist
Join with me in celebrating the process, the growth, the joy in the imperfect.