Anne’s Story
I'm an abstract artist and teacher working in acrylics and mixed media, with a style that's intuitive, textured, layered, and bold.
Art found me after a difficult chapter in my life. In a time of grief, I experienced firsthand the impact art can have on a space and a spirit. While visiting a friend's home filled with joyful, bright art, I felt an immediate shift in my own energy. When I couldn't find the art I wanted for my own home, I decided to paint it myself, and I never looked back.
Before art became my full-time path, I spent thirty years developing spas and wellness destinations around the world, and I'm a trained Energy Medicine and Reiki practitioner. That background still shapes how I think about painting today — as another wellness modality, another way to shift energy and lift spirit.
Today, I paint and teach from my studio beside The Arts Port Royal, where I also co-own the Stone Wilson Gallery. I live nearby in the Freedman Arts District in Beaufort, and this fall I'm opening a second studio there — more on that below.
“Life needs color, texture and joy, so my paintings are often bold, vibrant and gestural”
My Process
My work begins with an intention — a word, a phrase, sometimes a line of poetry or a lyric — written directly onto the canvas. It's often hidden beneath the layers that follow, but it stays there as an energetic foundation. As an Energy Medicine and Reiki practitioner, I believe deeply in the power of intention and vibration, and I think of painting as one more way to share that energy — to uplift spirit and spread a little more joy and optimism into the world.
From there, it's a process of letting go and discovery. I respond to each layer and mark, guided by nature, color harmony, and composition — but the real magic happens in the unfolding.
Acrylics + Mixed Media
I primarily paint with acrylics, often layered with collage, modeling paste, drawing tools, and handmade papers — elements that add texture, contrast, and tactile depth to the canvas.
Plein Air Invitational - Award Winning Collection
Artist Sunday Event Best Abstract - Beaufort Art Assoc. Spring Show
In Port Royal Studio - running out of wall spaceFour Collections
My current work moves across four collections - all optimistic and full of energy and life. I love to experiment, so I don’t limit myself to one style.
Low Country — abstracts inspired by the natural beauty of the coastal landscape
Expressions — bold, light and dark expressionistic works with drama
Street Vibe — bold, mixed media abstracts built around words, texture, and collage
Blooms — bright and whimsical abstracted florals
"Here Comes the Sun" Beatles lyrics written beneath paint
“Love Out Loud” - mixed media and spray paintStudios & Galleries
Port Royal, South Carolina
My original studio is located beside The Arts Port Royal, where I teach and co-own the Stone Wilson Gallery with fellow artist Susan Stone. Together we present exhibitions infused with intention, energy, and a shared desire to uplift.
New — Freedman Arts District, Beaufort, South Carolina
This fall, McCall Wilson Art is expanding. I've rented a studio in the new arts campus at the Freedman Arts District in Beaufort — a beautifully converted mid-century building that will house working studios, a public gallery, a small café, and a steady calendar of events, just minutes from Port Royal (and just down the road from my own house!).
My Freedman studio will be a place to paint bigger and looser, with a small Gallery Wall of available work for anyone visiting the campus. Selected pieces will also be part of the Freedman Arts Gallery. More to come — but sometime this fall, plan to drop by and say hello!
Classes and Workshops
I offer in-person abstract painting classes for all levels at The Arts Port Royal. I also teach classes on color, composition, layering, and tools for all styles — but most of all, I teach play.
My approach encourages self-expression and finding your own creative voice, rather than copying a set style or image. Every class is a creative journey, with inspiration, laughter, and plenty of happy accidents.
Watch for special events or workshops to be held in the new studio at the Freedman Arts location.
Art + Wellbeing
Art has the power to lift us. It rekindled my joy, awakened my imagination, and deepened my understanding of how creativity supports wellbeing.
This isn't just something I feel — the research backs it up. Scientists call this field neuroarts, and the findings are compelling. Making art has been shown to lower cortisol and calm the nervous system in as little as 45 minutes. As Your Brain on Art puts it, creating and experiencing art literally changes neural pathways and improves mood — in my experience, art isn't a luxury, it's part of a healthy life.
I especially love that abstract art, with its emphasis on movement, rhythm, and emotional expression, may support neuroplasticity — the brain's ability to form new connections, keeping us flexible and cognitively healthy as we age. I regard art as another wellness modality, standing alongside movement, sleep, and food. It’s food for the spirit and energy for happiness, health, and longevity.
Watch for another neurographic art class for well-being