Anna Hillard Bryant grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and continues to be enchanted by the forms and colors of her home. After receiving a degree in painting from James Madison University, she began creating paintings for exhibitions and collectors across the U.S.

Her work explores the relationships between nature and humans through the idea of place at two scales. Anna’s paintings celebrate our care of places large and small by way of the vista and the garden—an anthropology of both expanse and detail.

Anna is particularly drawn to places that hold stories of her family: the deep ridges of Appalachia, wild coasts of the Carolinas, and rolling hills of the Virginia Piedmont. In an increasingly homogenized world, the native flora and specific light of these vistas are a constant source of inspiration.

The potent symbolism of botanicals is another recurring theme in Anna’s work, weaving stories of individuals, families, and cultures and life events through plants that provide food, medicine, meaning, and delight. Her floral paintings thoughtfully bring lasting permanence to a special bouquet, window box, or garden bed.

After nearly a decade painting in Richmond, Virginia and studying with Neilson Carlin, Anna returned to her beloved Blue Ridge in 2014. She works from her studio on a farm near Charlottesville and exhibits around the region. To inquire, please send an email to info@annabryantpainting.com.