Ann Meade

Ann Meade comes from a long family line of artists, including her great grandmother, grandmother, cousin and aunt. Ann is proud to have a family history of creators and feels that her family’s legacy informs her work and her drive to create. Cats are another cornerstone for Ann’s practice; she had a cat as a child and they have always been an important part of her life.

Making art keeps her life centered and calm, according to Ann. Art is about having fun to Ann and ‘seeing where it goes.’ Ann has been practicing her work since her high school days, where she took advanced art classes and exhibited work in her district’s high school art show in her senior year.

Ann’s favorite materials to work with are oil pastels and watercolors. She likes to work with watercolors because they’re simple and direct for her. She also enjoys experimenting with ink, often drawing people pulled from books and magazines. Ann likes to make work both from her imagination as well as by direct observation from photos and real life. Clay is another medium Ann has excelled at; she shares that ‘clay feels good to touch, it’s good to put it together.’

A lifelong California based artist, Ann cites the state as a main inspiration for her. She likes the art, baseball and diverse landscapes of California, especially the Oakland A’s baseball team. NIAD Art Center feels like a second home to Ann. She shares, ‘I like coming to NIAD because I enjoy making art.’