Born in Chicago, but growing up in Flint, Mich., Anni Crouter started painting and drawing before she could read or write. Soon after relocating to Michigan in 1965, this natural ability caught notice by her mother and both her grandmothers, who encouraged her to express herself. The life on a farm in rural Michigan with a father who was a veterinarian lent itself to many aspiring subjects to paint and draw such as horses, barn cats, dogs, birds and other wild and domesticated animals. Many of these subjects still remain her favorites to paint.
Following school, she attended Mott Community College majoring in business, with a minor in art. Her artwork mainly focused on oil, and sometimes, acrylic mediums. Her big breakthrough came with the introduction into the world of watercolors. She credits her longtime mentor, Jim Ames, AWS. Under his guidance her knowledge in art theory and artistic abilities has continually progressed, and now her work can be seen in national and international trade journals, art galleries and businesses in several states, and in the homes of private collectors.