Techniques
Anna Dickerson works in acrylic, oil paint, oil pastel and dry mediums. Anna often develops unique painting techniques which evolve in response to new subject matter. Some of these techniques are described below.Flick paintings
Anna’s flick paintings are built up with many vertical layers of acrylic paint flicked onto the canvas. The image emerges from a mass of marks. Because of the way the paint is applied, these paintings alter with the differing ambient light and viewing distances. Colours recede or become more dominant accordingly.
Anna developed this new technique initially as a means to convey the atmosphere of a wolf in snow; its transient qualities and its dance-like movement. She has gone on to apply the technique to her paintings of owls, albatross and huskies. A large painting will take at least two months to make.
Flat Paintings
These paintings on canvas are made with acrylic paint, applied using a palette knife. Each layer is very thinly applied and many overlapping marks are built up to create both depth and richness of colour. The layers interact to give an appearance of texture, although the final surface is smooth and appears burnished. These paintings, like the flick paintings, are very labour intensive.
This technique was developed as an approach to painting koi carp, to capture the murky water surface and its secrets. Anna spent much time watching, feeding and studying koi carp in Tuscany and she went on to produce a much-acclaimed series of ten koi carp paintings. She has also used this style painting moose, deer and garden birds, modifying the technique to use much denser and more highly-pigmented marks. Anna continues to work on her garden bird series with a view to painting larger pieces over the year ahead.
Traditional Paintings
Anna returned to working with oil on canvas during her residency at London Zoo. The immediacy of paint brushes suited the short time frame available. Subsequently embarking on her Wildfowl series, Anna has continued working with paint brushes but changed from oils to using acrylic paints. The short drying times allow her to build up a textured surface rapidly. Acrylics behave very differently from oil paints and are a versatile and tactile medium to be working in.
Drawings
Anna’s drawings are made from life. She uses a range of materials, from graphite through to oil pastels, often using a combination of materials at one sitting.