Anna Connor

About Me

I have been surrounded by art all my life. Art and creativity was in the house as I was growing up and I very luckily had access to artists’ materials from a young age. Alongside the library, art galleries were my favourite place to visit and I would take myself off there, spending many hours absorbed in the pictures, awed by the skill and talent, trying to work out how they had been painted, imagining the stories behind them or simply just sitting in quiet enjoyment.

I love all of life and each of my pictures is a love letter to life. My pictures are created mindfully, with presence in the here and now. Many of them are intended to be a sanctuary, a place in which to be still, to receive comfort, solace, and relief. They are a meditation, helping us to drop all the worries in our head, and to instead be in the present moment, to pay attention to the fantastic life that is around and in us and to be filled with wonder at it all.

For me, the present moment is a gift – a ‘present’. Life is phenomenal and I don’t want to miss any of it - the still and hushed morning, the graceful garden trees in winter, the sweet spring blossoms, the soul-lifting birdsong, the bright silver moon, the blazing stars and the mysterious planets. My family and friends. The incredible and brave people I meet on this journey through life.

A big part of my practice is teaching and engaging with others. It is great to share knowledge, resources, and passion! I’m currently enjoying teaching drawing and painting skills, mindful drawing, and sharing my love of painting flowers with anyone who will join me. Painting flowers is a very joyful experience. 

I have a first class degree in Fine Art and a PGCE in post 16 teaching.

Mindfulness and Art: I am currently studying for my masters in Studies in Mindfulness, MSc, at Aberdeen University where I am exploring the exciting potential of using mindfulness in art. I have completed modules in “Mindfulness”, “Compassion”, and “Insight”, where I read many science papers on the benefits of the practices of mindfulness and compassion for our well-being generally, and also specifically on their impact on creativity, including drawing and painting. I am already utilising everything I have learned into my teaching and workshops, as well as developing my own mindful art activities for use with groups and participants.

Regular Drawing & Painting sessions in Holmfirth

“The ability to draw lives in you as much as it does in any artist, in fact, it is your right. The journey of learning to draw contains some risk. There may be a feeling of clumsiness or foolishness as you start, and you may get a little lost, but there is a great reward at the end.” ~ Juliette Aristides

I currently run a regular adult drawing and painting class on Wednesday afternoons. The class is suitable for all abilities, it is small, friendly and supportive. Based at Upperthong Village Hall, it is always a delight to be here, set in beautiful countryside with fine views all around. The windows are many and large, and the sunlight comes pouring in, creating an airy, happy and positive environment.  

We explore many aspects of drawing and painting and we practise them by drawing and painting the world around us as a starting point. We draw and paint from natural objects, from ‘still-lifes’ that we set up in our lovely studio space, and we draw and paint the beautiful views through the window. We experiment with different materials and ideas, producing a wide range of artwork. The class is flexible and I try to cater for everyone’s needs.

If you are interested in this art class, or would like more information, or just a chat about what we do, please message me using my “Contact” page.

Mindfulness & Nature Drawing and Painting Workshops

“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?” ~ from ‘Leisure’ by William Henry Davies 

I also deliver adult arts workshops on the themes of nature and mindfulness, including flower painting workshops. Drawing and painting from nature takes us out of our heads and helps us to connect with nature, with ourselves and with others. The act of creating stops us thinking and worrying about other things. It gives us a chance to see the beauty that is around us, such as the floating summer clouds above our heads, the dancing autumnal leaves, the sparkling winter’s frost on the grass and the colourful flowers in the vase. 

Research has found that nature soothes our soul, creativity brings us enjoyment, and mindfulness helps us to slow down. 

Drawing from nature, combines all these benefits of nature, mindfulness and creativity: 

reduced stress
stronger immune system
improved concentration
more energy
more self-acceptance
more happiness

Drawing nature is about celebrating nature, and ourselves!

If you are interested in my workshops, please message me using my “Contact” page.

Here is some feedback from art sessions and workshops that I have delivered: 

“Well structured - simply explained allowing me to the experiment and learn. This was then enhanced with useful individual guidance.”

“I have never done anything like this before and have found it fantastic, very relaxed and informative. Anna was brilliant and very engaging. Materials provided were of good quality and variability."

"Anna's workshop was very enjoyable and encouraging to all the members of the group. The mindfulness of concentrating on making colourful images of natural subjects helped all to relax into accepting that art doesn't require photorealism to be a successful picture Anna came fully equipped.”

"What a lovely workshop, very relaxing.”

"The setting was lovely, a very calm and tranquil space. It was fabulous to be able to spend two hours of “me time” working alongside like-minded people. An excellent range of resources were provided alongside encouragement to just have a go. Anna provided excellent help and advice throughout. I really enjoyed this session! Thank you!" 

"I enjoyed this drawing workshop it was very relaxing and I learned a lot."

"Lovely relaxing and able to learn techniques as a beginner. Anna is very passionate and talented.”

If you are interested in my art or my teaching, I would love to hear from you. Please send me a message using my “Contact” page and I will get back to you as soon as possible.