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Art mediums: Watercolor, pencil, colored pencil, ink, oil, acrylic, nature photography and more; studio art and illustration.

How do you describe your art? My work has a strong narrative quality. I love people and nature—and telling stories! I want to bring the viewer into a special place where they can linger and be uplifted.

There’s an original, gentle, often intricate, imaginative quality to my illustrations: a bit of folk art, almost a visual bluegrass style. My goal is to communicate the beauty, kindness and reflective wonder in life.

Were you always interested in following a creative path? Yes! My mother wisely encouraged creativity in our home. As a little child, I was ‘an artist,’ and my youth was filled with art, music, dance and theater classes—often with exceptional teachers.

Then, for over a decade, I worked at a large Christian residential-rehabilitation center in California. What a joy to use the arts to help thousands of people! After that, I spent nearly three decades teaching middle school art (large Appleton parochial school). Loved it enormously! I continued creating art, including a couple projects for large corporations.

Currently I am taking oil painting classes and working on an alphabet book. Being retired from teaching, I can build a greater foundation in art and illustration.

What does your “day-in-the-life” as an artist look like? I wake up to the sounds of my husband playing classical guitar. After breakfast, prayer and study, there’s time for meaningful and creative pursuits including art and research.

My drawing table is in the living room across from the large windows to the outside world. Here I get absorbed in art while my husband serenades me! Then we hike—camera in my hand and travel banjo in his.

Where do you get your creative inspiration? I do pray over my work, and nature is the unbeatable source for artistic inspiration—that enlivening immersion in beauty and wonder—all those curious glories! Life experiences, music, stories, visual images, keen observation all are also sources of creative inspiration.

Why do you love what you do? There is something tremendous about launching out from the here and now and entering into an imaginative realm of your own creation. Besides, creating art is a meaningful thing to do. It stands to bless others now and in the future. It is very satisfying! The results become a visual record of your life.

Have you faced any challenges as an artist? Creating visual art can be a frustrating business! One off angle of perspective, one hand that is too large—and oh, an eyebrow on an accidental angry-looking tilt!

One thing most people don’t know about being an artist: When people create art, it becomes a flow activity, very good for the brain. You forget everything else and lose yourself in the creative process.

Early bird or night owl? Night owl!

Dog or cat person? Definitely a dog person!

Is the glass half full or half empty? I’m very thankful in life: try to count my blessings; keep that sense of wonder. In the hard parts of life, I remember God is good and life is short.

What makes you happiest? Being used for a good purpose greater than myself is great joy. I love being with people, especially children; spending time with family and in nature. I love sharing my life journey with others through art.

Find Anne on Facebook under Anne Baruth Illustration and Anne Baruth on LinkedIn.