About me
Hello, welcome and thank you for visiting my website!
My name is Anna Joan and I am a professional animal portrait artist specialising in drawing Suffolk's wildlife and bespoke pet portraits using only premium coloured pencils as my medium.
I am a native to Bury St Edmunds, a historic market town surrounded by the stunning landscape Suffolk has to offer. It boasts huge skies, flatlands, forests and a variety of beautiful wildlife, my favourite of which being its rabbits and hares.
What my artwork means to me
Hares and Rabbits
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It became clear that these are very misunderstood creatures, and along with other small animals in the UK, a lot suffer from, for the most part, unintentional neglect. Rabbits are in fact incredibly social creatures and can form strong bonds and a love for their owners. After learning about them and their loving nature, there was no doubt that I was going to make rabbits and hares the symbol of my art and frequently depict them in my portraits.
I personally feel a deeper connection to nature through my relationship with my bunnies and cherish them as individuals.
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Along with portraits of the magnificent red deer of Suffolk, and the fact that I believe all wildlife in Suffolk possess its own unique beauty, I frequently like to depict hares and rabbits in my artwork. I have owned quite a few rabbits in my life, but it was a little rabbit called Ted, a black and white Lionhead, with whom I grew an incredibly special bond. Because of him, I decided to become a "rabbit expert" and studied their origins, behaviour and also all about their cousins, hares.
Why they are my symbol
Since Ted, I now have two rabbits called Strawberry and Lemonie, a buck and a doe. Originally, we had a trio, our own little warren, but sadly our third rabbit, our precious lop called Blackberry, passed away in the last hour of Christmas Eve in 2023.
To say we all miss him is an understatement.
As quoted in Richard Adams' Watership Down:
"My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today."
Their mythology and connection to Suffolk
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East Anglia has the highest abundance of hares in Britain and hold a fascinating and deep spiritual connection to the region.
Both rabbits and hares have associations with paganism, for example their connection to Ostara (Eastre), supposedly Christianity, as is presented in the medieval symbol above (The Holy Trinity), and witchcraft, a misunderstood practice which draws upon bonds with the countryside and nature.
It is said that a witch would use her power to shapeshift into a hare and run across the flatlands of Suffolk, thought to steal milk and ruin crops! Also, like "witches", hares are said to have a close connection to the moon, something I have already explored in my portrait Moon-blind.
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Unfortunately, rabbits and hares are on the decline throughout Britain due to their status as game meat and because they can be shot any time of year, including during their breeding season. I am a firm supporter of the conservation of hares and all other British wildlife and will be adjusting my business in due course to reflect that. I am currently researching conservation charities to contribute a percentage of profits to support their efforts.
Pet Portraits
I am a firm believer that pets just make your life that much better; to own an animal, and have one completely entrusted in you and living happily alongside you, is a privilege. I know that pets, big or small, hold a special place in our hearts and deserve to be immortalised in art.
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It is a category of art that started my whole business off and so is one that I take great pride in, and I ensure that every portrait I complete is made with love and care to ensure every piece is unique, just like every pet is, and dutifully capture their personality.
The history of Anna Joan's Art
My enjoyment for drawing with pencil began in my childhood and lead me to complete Art at GCSE and A-Level in the later years of school. When I was 21 years old, and during the COVID-19 lockdown, I drew my first ever pet portrait: an English Setter called Zak, my grandmother's late dog who passed away in the early 1980s. It was this drawing that kick-started my journey in drawing lifelike pet portraits and I began completing commissions for family and friends who saw my drawing of Zak from further and further afield.
Throughout 2020-2022 I continued drawing portraits while simultaneously studying for my bachelors in Classical Studies and working numerous part-time jobs. However, it was not until 2023 that I decided to take the leap and finally utilise my artistic capability to make drawing portraiture my source of income while I study. My wonderful family and partner have been incredibly supportive, helping me paint the old spare room in my flat and turning it into a small studio, helping me at markets and supporting me on social media. Their enthusiasm for my endeavor is something I am ever so grateful for, along with everyone else who has purchased my goods and commissioned me for their portraits.
Outside the Studio
The days I decide to take a break from my cosy studio is time spent either with my wonderful partner, Lewis, our two bunnies or with my friends and family. Lewis and I love to travel abroad and around Britain, going on hikes and exploring many villages, towns and cities. We also frequently like to go on long walks in the Suffolk countryside with our families' dogs, Bernie and Breya, a Black Lab and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Anna Joan on Instagram
@annajoansart
If you have an Instagram account and are interested in watching me draw my artwork, or simply want to keep up with my progress, feel free to follow me on my business' official Instagram page using the icon above!
