United States

“And what is art…except a way to express ourselves when our thoughts and feelings catch in our throats and fail to transfer into a sound that is heard” – Ann DerGara
The enthusiasm with which Ann DerGara approaches her art is a lifelong passion.

Born to Norwegian-German parents who recognized and nurtured her creative abilities, the Greenville, South Carolina native sold her first painting five years prior to beginning her formal education at Georgia State University.

In 1978, a printmaking course at Atlanta College of Art led her to Dick Williams and the innovative and contemporary Odyssey Studio.

The artist pursued the etching and the collagraph, later the serigraph, and in 1990 began monoprinting. Her mastery of the art of printmaking is described as remarkable. Yet painting remains DerGara’s first love and a vibrant testament to her profound talent.

Santiago Leon of ARTEFINO speaks for many admirers that Ann’s work is typical of an artist assured of her own talent: it is unconstrained blending great skill and maturity with the free spirit of a child. DerGara is intent on achieving the original, the unique, and the different – but only as it celebrates what is positive and beautiful. Her brilliant use of color expresses her passionate respect for the harmony of nature – a recurring theme is a body of work that brings her growing international acclaim.

“The only thing I ever wanted to be was an artist. I am extremely fortunate to be doing what I love”. – Ann DerGara