Having been born on the Isle of Wight and lived her first few years at Godshill, Anna Keen has now returned to the Island following some years on another island – Arran, Scotland and several years in European destinations.
Whilst in Italy she rowed across the Lagoon in Venice to the Island of Infectious Diseases and wandered round Naples ending up at the Capo di Monte Museum to stand in awe in front of Caravaggio’s magnificent flagellation of Christ.
Now, having returned to the Isle of Wight and with a young son to consider she is looking for somewhere to settle to set up a home and studio. Anna usually needs a large space for her works which depict, in the main, nautical scenes interpreted in her own very distinctive style.
Anna likes to depict those nautical seascapes which have a story behind them. Following research into the subject matter her paintings tell the tale behind the object in view.
Several of Anna’s paintings are of the seas off the Isle of Wight. ‘Freshwater Bay’ shows, as well as the bay and the surrounding cliffs the bobbing marker buoys for the lobster pots that played their part on May 29th2010, in the £53million worth of cocaine haul.
Another painting of Anna’s, ‘The Needles’ is based on a drawing by the Dutchman Lambert Doomer that he made in 1646. It shows the rock formation including the pillar which collapsed in a storm in 1764, the impact of which was reportedly heard as far away as Southampton and Portsmouth. This now forms the gap which many an unsuspecting vessel has used as a cut through, only to become lodged on what remains of the pillar.
One of the largest of Anna’s paintings ‘Big Forts – Spit Bank and Horse Sand, Isle of Wight’ has, as the title suggests, these Solent Forts as focal points. This large piece, together with ‘Freshwater Bay’, ‘The Needles’ and others are at present forming an exhibition of her work at Kendalls Fine Art, Cowes where she has been welcomed as a new artist to the gallery.
