By Beth Williams
Ann Goble, Sunshine on My Shoulder, oil, 20 x 16.
Georgia wildlife artist Ann Goble is drawn to “the language of beauty and simplicity”—two concepts she melds seamlessly in her latest paintings of bird and equine life. “If I can capture a moment that might otherwise go unnoticed—sharing with others a piece of beauty that they might have missed—I feel like I’ve accomplished something,” Goble says. “It brings me great joy.”
Ann Goble, If Wishes Were Horses, oil, 30 x 40.
It brings great joy to enthralled viewers as well, as they delight in the golden-hued glimpses of shorebirds, whether alone or gathered in small groups, basking at the water’s edge. Viewers are equally enamored by Goble’s powerful horse portraits that convey fleeting moments of strength and movement personified.
Ann Goble, Little by Little, oil, 8 x 10.
Key to each subject’s sensitive portrayal is Goble’s deft brushwork. “I try to keep the birds’ feathers loose and subtle,” she notes, “as it’s the patterns that are interesting, not the individual feathers.” Meanwhile, because a horse’s movement “catches light and shadow in beautiful ways that can be tricky to convey, rendering the coat can be a challenge,” she admits. “Each muscle and tendon shows and has to be accurate.”
Ann Goble, She Walks in Beauty, oil, 36 x 36.
Another integral factor to the sense of intimacy and movement is Goble’s deceptively subtle background treatment. “Conveying the vibrations of nature is my goal,” she says. “I build layers, alternating warms and cools, and let segments of each layer show through, which creates a subtle, natural-looking energy,” she adds. “I like to keep it simple so that the eye goes to the subject.”
Ann Goble, Old Ties and Companions, oil, 36 x 36.
Goble began her award-winning painting career just over two decades ago, studying under Daniel Keys, Jill Soukup, Roseta Santiago, David A. Leffel, Gregg Kreutz, and Marc Chatov. Today she’s a member of The American Society of Marine Artists, Oil Painters of America, American Women Artists, Society of Animal Artists, and the American Impressionist Society—and a regular participant in multiple juried shows, including the Southeastern Wildlife Exhibition.
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Reinert Fine Art, Charleston, SC; www.anngoble.com.
This article is part of The Art of Wildlife portfolio.