Anneli Skaar

Where did you grow up and where else have you lived? 

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area to Norwegian immigrants and ended up going to Norway to get my college degree. I ended up living and working there for 12 years before moving to the east coast and living in both MA and RI before ending up in Maine.

Did you attend schooling for your art form? If so, where? 

I went to the National Academy of the Arts in Oslo and got my BA in illustration and graphic design

What initially drew you to the world of art, and how did your location and environment at that time influence your creative path? 

I always had a lot of ideas and creative notions from the time I could hold a crayon. I was very much supported in this creativity growing up, but ended up going for a degree in graphic design and illustration because I thought it was the best fit for my talents. At the end of the day, I think having that background, discipline, and training has been very helpful to me as a fine artist.

How does the natural beauty of Maine inspire your artistic vision?

The light in Maine is similar to Scandinavian light, it has a blue tinge which I love. There’s drama in the shapes of its nature, from the coast to the trees to the mountains. The beauty is more humble and rough than many more traditionally beautiful landscapes, but the people who can see it and appreciate it are fiercely loyal to it.

What is your favorite season here in Maine? How does the shifting landscape and weather patterns impact your artistic practice throughout the year? Maine weather and landscape has had a huge impact on my work. My debut exhibition in 2014 was called “icehardshipbeauty” and was inspired directly by life in a place where extreme weather is a part of the culture. I actually love the Maine winter very much, although it’s always nice when spring and summer roll around.

What artist/maker do you admire and why? 

I admire artists who aren’t afraid to try new things and play with different mediums. Maine-related artists who immediately come to mind are Marguerite Zorach and her daughter Dahlov Ipcar.  Other artists I love are Norwegian icons Theodore Kittelsen and Harald Sohlberg.

How would you describe your artistic style and what drives you in that direction? 

I work in a kind of realism which is informed by creating from memory. I often do nocturnes. Night time and darkness have always been a source of comfort to me, not fear. I never tire of painting nocturnal landscapes.

Beyond your artwork, what other passions or interests do you pursue, and how do they intersect with your creative practice? I love to travel and to write. I like to be confronted with new experiences and then to reflect on them and create stories about them. I feel that these things tend to inspire my artwork in unexpected ways, and I’m a big believer in self-created residencies. I also love making paper flowers as a hobby.

How have you seen your work evolve over time, and what do you hope to explore in the future?

In the last 5 years I have discovered the format of the artist book, which is a great way of combining design, artwork, and writing. It’s been a great joy to me to explore that. In the future I’d love to be able to do sculptural pieces, maybe in collaboration with artists who work in very different mediums. I find that many times I have exciting ideas I simply am not able to follow through on because I don’t have the tools or skills to work in the medium required, like metal or glass. You can't really dabble in those things, as much as I would like to!

What is your favorite restaurant in Maine? 

There are a lot of fantastic, high-end restaurants I could mention, but for consistency over time, I’d have to say I’ve never had a mediocre meal at Long Grain in Camden or Suzuki’s in Rockland. They are always great.

Where is your favorite outdoor location in Maine? 

Hiking up to the tower on Mt. Battie will always have a special place in my heart, with my studio deck a close second.