As a mixed media Artist and Gut Health Specialist I'm a huge believer in the mind and gut connection and hence launched my business 'Anna Clarke - Create Nourish Heal' ( www.anna.clarke.co.uk) which combines my two passions of creativity and nourishment, to empower others to prioritise their health and wellbeing. I know from personal experience that creativity helped me deal with the loss of my beloved father in a very mindful way by painting scenes of where we'd holidayed together on his sailing clothes, to keep our connection alive. My work combines my admiration of 'Mother Nature the Artist' and my love of the open sea, being especially connected to the landscape of St Ives, having completed the 1 year Porthmeor programme at St Ives School of Painting , and Salcombe from years of family holidays there; both of which inspire me with their ever-changing iteration of texture, pattern and wondrous colour. Reality is always my starting point, usually captured by 'being in' the landscape, sketching or photographing it, and then I relish experimenting and discovering those 'happy accidents' that occur as I move towards abstraction, building layers of texture with collage, fabric, cold wax, sand and natural materials. I have a particular passion for printing, especially collagraph using the historic print house at St Ives School of Painting and more recently eco printing, using natural foliage. Living in landlocked Kenilworth in Warwickshire I was super keen to connect with my local artist groups and hence joined Kenilworth Artists and Leamington Studio Artists .
