The Joyful Still Life Paintings of Anna-May Moir
Central Coast-based artist Anna-May Moir captures still life scenes from her everyday life, finding joy in the simple moments around her.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Laura-Jane Vanderzee
‘So far in my journey, the subject matter has really been reflective of my own life stage, maybe not explicitly but certainly introspectively,’ says Anna-May Moir.
‘I often see a great colour combo or pattern and get the urge to turn it into a painting, but the more I paint, the more I’m learning to harness that urge—to sit with it and let it brew, and then pick up my brushes when I have time and space.’
Simple moments from her life are harnessed to use as inspiration for Anna-May Moir’s artwork.
“Motherhood changes you so much – there was so much to process and communicate about the immense change taking place. Painting really felt like the most effective way to do that, and I’ve struggled to put my brushes down ever since.”
Anna-May Moir’s paintings capture her love for the simple joys in life.
‘I also work as a high-school teacher—getting to work with young people in a creative space is such a privilege and ongoing source of inspiration for me.’
For many creatives we’ve featured post lockdown, the time spent at home presented the opportunity to look at their lives through a new lens and to go after a dream hobby or career they’d been putting off. It was also a time to escape the pressure of what was happening and dive into a new creative outlet.
For Central Coast emerging artist and visual arts high-school teacher, Anna-May Moir, lockdown hit just after she had her first baby, and she started painting as a way of dealing with overwhelm – a silver lining that came about during the pandemic. ‘There was so much uncertainty, both in the world, but also in my personal adjustment to motherhood, painting was a sort of therapy and outlet for me, a calming space amidst the external chaos,’ shares Anna-May.
The urge to paint every spare moment possible took over, ‘Motherhood changes you so much – there was so much to process and communicate about the immense change taking place. Painting really felt like the most effective way to do that, and I’ve struggled to put my brushes down ever since,’ she says.
The artist started sharing her work on Instagram, purely to document and save her paintings in a digital form, without anticipating any interest. ‘I ended up landing a commissioning of 27 pieces for our local private maternity ward,’ she says. ‘It was such a special and rewarding job, which really launched and grew my painting and process—I now juggle raising my two little girls, working as a teacher and painting, which is busy but a privilege that I don’t take for granted.’
Anna-May works with acrylic and oils pastels for her joyful, pastel-hued still life artwork. Her starting point for all her paintings is the exploration of pattern, shape and colour – elements that dictate her practice and are her compass for creative exploration. Drawn to everyday nostalgic scenes such as bowls of fruit, a vase of fresh flowers or a bowl of food, it’s the simplicity in these moments that Anna-May loves most. ‘My subject matters are all blessings that bring joy to our senses and bring us together… simple joys that remind us of how beautiful life can be.’
Since the beginning of her painting journey, Anna-May’s subject matter has been reflective of what’s happening in her life—when she started painting she was drawn to painting new mothers, pregnant women and babies, but more more recently, she’s inspired by her humble kitchen bench, a place she often gravitates to with her daughters. ‘There’s something so fascinating about the kitchen bench to me, it’s so universal: a place that brings people together, a meeting place in the family home, a place of chaos and sharing—I love trying to capture that through different colours and shapes,’ she shares.
The future looks bright for this emerging artist, with a couple of exciting projects are currently in the pipeline, ‘I hope to share more of these as they unfold, but mainly I’m excited to keep teaching young people visual arts, work with them and foster their creativity and processes.’
‘I’ve grown up on the beautiful central coast my whole life and I’m now raising my own girls here with my husband—there is beauty everywhere.’
‘I’m excited to keep painting the things I love, and to practice and learn more about by own process.’
‘Getting to appreciate all of life’s little blessings and beauties and sharing that with others through painting is what I love most.’
‘I’m usually inspired by patterns or a colour combination in nature, fashion… even one of my daughter’s drawings.’