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Anne Peyton chosen for “Over Land and Sea” group show at Aiken Center For The Arts
(March 21, 2024) - Arizona artist Anne Peyton will join a select group of artists for a special exhibition at the Aiken Center for the Arts in Aiken, South Carolina.
“Over Land And Sea,” organized by sculptor Jeff Birchill, features 19 painters and sculptors who are sharing their art, their personal philosophy to wildlife and the environment, and the methodologies they use.
Anne's pieces in the show include Picking Flowers, Rushing Water, Sea Hawk, Sweet Song, and Up A Tree.
“I have a motto for my life: All birds, all of the time,” Peyton said. “I am either looking at birds, painting birds, training birds or feeding birds.
“Over the years, I have become convinced that the painters I admire most are the ones with direct knowledge of their chosen subjects. Because of this belief, I try to spend as much time as possible studying raptors and other birds in the wild. Cameras allow me to take details home with me but I find I remember the best behaviors when seen with my eyes.
“My main intention with my art is to bring the birds I have seen in the field closer to the eyes of the viewer. I am hoping to share their beauty and behaviors . I am also hoping to spark an emotion. As a wildlife conservationist, I believe that people will care for only the things they love. If my paintings can inspire the viewer to want to know more about birds and to care for them a bit more, then I have had a successful day.”
“Over Land And Sea” runs at the Aiken Center for the Arts from March 21 through April 30, and features works by Joy Beckner, Jeff Birchill, Beatrice Bork, Carel Brest van Kempen, Jamie Cassaboon, Tim Donovan, Lori Dunn, Martin Gates, Christine Knapp, Judy Lalingo, Walter Matia, Calvin Nicholls, Carrie Nygren, Patricia Pepin, Anne Peyton, John Plishka, Jan McAllaster Stommes, Chris Wilson, and Sherrie York.
‘Palm Spring’ selected for Society of Animal Artists’ ‘Wildlife Wonders’ at Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
(March 9, 2024) - “Palm Spring,” Anne Peyton’s painting of a Harris’s Hawk taking flight from a nestsite, has been selected for “Wildlife Wonders,” a special show of the Society of Animal Artists at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum’s Ironwood Gallery in Tucson, Arizona.
“Occasionally, something I see in the wild really catches my attention and I just have to paint it,” Peyton said. “Harris’s Hawks are common in the Sonoran Desert and have fully adapted to city life. You will often hear a noisy family before you see it, especially if the birds are cavorting among the palm trees.
“What caught my eye with this hawk was the resemblance of the primary feathers to the palm fronds. The hawk is rising straight up from the trees, so the title ‘Palm Spring’ seemed a fitting choice.”
“Wildlife Wonders” runs March 9 through June 9, and is free with Desert Museum admission.
‘Maggie’ debuts at WAOW’s National Exhibition at the Phippen Museum
(Feb. 19, 2024) - Anne Peyton’s “Maggie,” a portrait of a beloved rescued Great Horned Owl, will make its debut at the “Dreamweavers,” the 54th annual exhibition of the Women Artists of the West at the Phippen Museum of Western Art in Prescott, Arizona.
“Maggie is one of Liberty Wildlife’s education ambassadors,” said Anne, one of Maggie’s handlers at Liberty Wildlife. “She came to our facility in 2003 as a baby following a nest attack by a local hawk. She had multiple open wounds in her skull that required constant cleaning until her skull grew back. She became a beautiful bird full of personality and is very popular with visitors and school children.
“Maggie also has a second job as a foster parent. In the spring, Liberty receives dozens of nestling owls, many blown out of nests by seasonal winds and storms. Maggie will foster up to six babies each spring, feeding them and protecting them from her keepers who still have to clean and provide food each day.
“I don’t often paint captive animals, but for this special bird I made an exception.”
“Dreamweavers” opens at the Phippen March 1 and continues through June 23.