Perhaps there was a goddess‑muse overseeing the feminine line of Annell Metsker’s ancestry. Her paternal great‑grandmother, grandmother, mother, Annell herself, and her granddaughter were – and are – artistically gifted, drawn to the maidenly, the graceful, the intuitive.
“My great grandmother was a painter. I have a painting of her self‑portrait in her bedroom, sitting up in a four‑poster bed in her nightgown, reading,” says Annell. (See photo at far left.) “My grandmother started painting landscapes at 80.
“My mom was an artist and photographer too,” Annell adds. “I am encouraging my 12‑year‑old granddaughter, mentoring her with painting. She’s got the genes.”
Art is not merely running through Annell’s veins – it feels biological. Throughout her painterly life, she has tried her hand with all kinds of paint styles: brushes (hair and handle), encaustic tools, and on occasion, fingers and daubers.
Along the way, she stepped into the world of digital possibility through Corel. With a stylus, she could paint, draw, sketch, and create photo‑art that gave her a shivery thrill. Photographs of family, weddings, and children became her artistic delights. Using freehand strokes, she created sprays, lines, and brush‑marks in the spirit of Impressionism. Then she printed the scene on canvas and switched from digital to hand brush, finishing with traditional oil paint for award‑winning romantic, charming tableaus. “Taking a photograph and making it into an impressionistic art piece gives me great joy, especially when I see how it delights my subjects.”
Annell studied in San Francisco and Louisiana to become proficient with portrait painting and transformed her photography studio into a painting studio. She had 16 commissions at her first unveiling party.
The family muse applauds – and so does the Art League of Highlands‑Cashiers, to which she loyally belongs.
Among her influential instructors were local painters Sue Fazio and Karen Weihs, along with educators throughout Europe and America. She has shown at many galleries. Locally, you can view her work at Whiteside Art Gallery and The Bascom.
Over the years Annell has been honored by Professional Photographers of America, Kodak Gallery, Fuji Masterpiece Award, the Master of Photography Degree by PPA, and more.
Consider commissioning Annell to capture your family’s essence with a photographic portrait or painting of your children, pets, family, or memorable travels.
She and her muse now commune at her home on Lake Glenville and her studio in Charlotte. Visit her at photographybyannell.com, call (704) 996‑0559, email annellmetsker@gmail.com, or find her on Facebook and Instagram @annellmetsker.
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