Just beneath the surface, flashes of vibrant color appear and disappear seeming to beg for attention – or is it food they want? A favorite subject of artists, koi fish seem to have no limits when it comes to color, grace, and beauty. Cambrian artist Anne Seltzer has put this at the center of her work in a new collection of paintings titled On the Surface.
“I work from my own photographs and create works in series,” says Seltzer. “I like the process of creating a series, because of the changes that occur as I work through a subject.” She goes on to reflect on the natural evolution of her own koi pond paintings, pointing out the realism of her early koi pond paintings compared to her work now.
“When I began the koi pond series, my paintings were full of fish. As I worked, I became more intrigued with the shapes around the fish. The pads and lily stems became the dominant form, and a koi might show up—or not.” The result is a series of abstracted forms that burst with color.
Seltzer has been painting since childhood. Her mother was also an artist and encouraged her to paint in a variety of mediums and styles. Growing up on a ranch in Salinas, California, making art became a family affair whenever her four aunts visited. Including Seltzer’s mother, the five of them would have fun experimenting with a variety of media.
Seltzer received her bachelor’s in English with a minor in Theater from Vanderbilt University. She was a freelance artist and illustrator in Santa Cruz before moving to Claremont in 1985 to teach English at Upland High School. She retired ten years later to focus on her art and build her own studio, Artwork Studio, in Claremont.
Later, Seltzer received her MFA in Art from Claremont Graduate University and relocated her studio to Cambria in 2015. Her work is on permanent display at the Sam Maloof Foundation in Alta Loma, California, and many of Southern and Central California’s art galleries.
“My love of painting is the strongest,” says Seltzer with certainty. “I am always happy to have an opportunity to create a new body of work. I hope you enjoy viewing On the Surface.”
For more information or to purchase work, please contact Anne Seltzer at anniearts2003@yahoo.com.
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