There are two criteria for a painting that Anne Peyton places in each of her finished pieces: One is that the final image shows respect for the subject; the second is that viewers can learn something after studying the art. They are two principles that the artist has carried over to her new career as a wildlife artist, concentrating on birds and avian art.
For 20 years, Anne was one of the most sought after motorsports artists. Today, she has turned her eye and hand to the natural world. “In a way, it’s closing a circle. Birds and other wildlife were the subjects of my earliest paintings. My grandfather had a number of feeders at his Fort Collins (Colorado) home and he was very proud of the birds that visited his yard. I would spend several hours at the table sketching and painting the birds I saw.
“Painting birds may seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum, but in truth there is a lot of similarity. Birds can be brilliantly colored or purposefully drab. They are technically difficult. The artist must be able to capture and represent the proper attitude of a bird in its natural setting.”