How I See It Artist Statement for Anne Harkness A native of NC, Anne Harkness is an alumnus of the Atlanta College of Art and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from The Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her work as an art director in NYC for 15 years has embodied her work with a graphic element that astute viewers can detect in her paintings. For 5 years, Harkness studied painting under and worked for Curt Butler, a renowned oil painter. As a contemporary artist, Anne seeks to capture a distinct point of view, often finding some unexpected beauty in locations or views others would easily dismiss as ordinary. Working from her love of subject matter with a strong design element, Harkness also focuses on the importance of line in her work. Anne credits her emphasis on these particular components to her love of drawing and a desire to retain the looser marks that give a piece a more rustic, unfinished quality. Anne also looks for the surprises that come from spending time in a painting. These discoveries are her treasures and assure that she is always learning and seeking the ‘new-fresh’ for her work.