Ann Kretzschmar

Ann is a largely self-taught artist working mostly in soft pastel, based in Galgate just south of Lancaster. After 60 years believing she did not have an artistic bone in her body, a chance conversation on Facebook during lockdown encouraged her to give pastels a go. She started out using a set of 50-year-old pastels that had belonged to her Grandfather and was hooked from the word go. Since then, she has developed her knowledge and style almost exclusively from YouTube videos. Ann’s preferred medium is soft pastel, but she has recently started exploring acrylics and lino printing working from her home studio.

Inspiration comes from the places Ann visits and shares with friends and family and her walls at home are full of wonderful memories which she likes to share with others through the gallery and exhibitions. Mountains feature largely in her work often from her favourite Western Lake District. She also paints pet portraits including her daughter’s horses and her son’s dogs and commissions.

Ann has exhibited at Eskdale Art Show, King Street Arts and Garstang Open and has taken part in Paint Garstang plein-air competition. She has recently started doing demos in soft pastel for local art clubs aiming to raise the profile of soft pastel as a medium.