Anne Darby Parker

Charleston native and celebrated native, Anne Darby Parker, has spent her life creating. As a young child she learned to knit from her mother and grandmother and later, developed a passion for photography. After a successful career as a photographer her artistic interests evolved into painting. She recently earned her MFA at Academy of Art University. Anne paints daily in her Sullivan’s Island studio surrounded by the natural elements of the island. Several of her paintings have been featured in juried exhibitions, including Xavier University’s “Celebration of 50 Years of Women at Xavier” in 2019. Other paintings have been featured in print and digital publications around the country and as far away as Milan. Her influences include a variety of artists with abstract expressionism and fauvism being her favorite sources of inspiration. When Anne paints she strives to connect emotion with the figure by combining mediums and focusing on shape and simplicity of line. Anne is active in the local arts community as a member of the Charleston Artist Collective and founder of the Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry. She and her husband, urban planner Scott Parker, have three children and one granddaughter.

"As an artist, I think about the legacies left by women before me, legacies of hard work, mindfulness, strength, change, and progress. I work with intention to influence the present but ultimately, I work with the knowledge that every doodle, sketch, photograph, and painting influences my legacy. My consistent work to establish, develop, and grow my business does more than earn dollars. Each day I express resilience and faith in myself and trust in others because I believe they will see value in my art. When painting, I frequently use a combination of graphite, acrylic, and oil. My movement is gestural and expressive. I immerse myself in the same environment the model is in and express this through choices of color and brushwork. A series usually begins with a modeling session in a natural environment and I finish each piece in my studio. With careful intention, I trust my instincts, experience, and intuition to make connected choices that support the feel of my vision."