Statement About Flora

Statement about FLORA

Creating the pieces for Flora brought me to a more intimate understanding of my feminine self. Having long rejected feminine themes as creative subject matter meant I had also rejected those characteristics in myself.

Personifying Flora gave me permission to explore themes deemed taboo, cliché and untouchable by most of my creative peers while in art school.

I used her to heal that loss and as a vehicle to claim once again my birth as a female, from infant, to girl, sister and daughter to woman, partner and mother.

I used her to heal that loss and as a vehicle to claim once again my birth as a female, from infant, to girl, sister and daughter to woman, partner and mother.

Anne Elser 2011 Artist Bio

Anne-Davnes Elser began her education at the Cleveland Institute of Art, graduating in 1991 with a BFA in painting and ceramics. In 1997, after returning to Atlanta to study Graphic Design at The Portfolio Center, she began a long teaching career in Graphic Design, Calligraphy, Book Arts and Painting. Her classes range from graduate level classes to adult continuing education at the Kai Lin Art Gallery and Binders Art Supply in Buckhead. Anne also offers private lessons and weekend workshops in all of these areas.

Her latest teaching venture is a collaboration with artist, Performance Coach, and Emotionally Intuitive Facilitator, Debra Armentrout. Their intention is to provide intensive creative workshops for artists of all levels who are interested in going deeper, and unearthing inherent, unique, gifts and abilities, and subconscious subject matter. This lush depth is then made available, usable, to enrich the content of their creative work, as well as their lives.

Artist, designer, calligrapher and educator in the fields she loves, Anne's award-winning work has been featured in design annuals, calligraphy publications, books and in magazines.

Wife to Douglas, mother to Anton, mentor and friend to her students, Anne is not shy about sharing her creative content and process with others. All creative work has a story and gives voice to the important work of knowing self.

Anne Elser 2011 Artist Statement

I see our universe as a living, breathing organism, rich with color, passion, grace and infinite goodness. Believing our worlds reflect everything about us, I use symbol and metaphor while creating in fullness and in love.

The process of making art is opening to the idea of becoming an open channel for the neutral truth, and being an active participant in the deconstruction of our subconscious prejudices. Art is a snapshot of this process and a soulful reflection of the connections shared by all.