Personalities
Anne Laddon
Artist and Founder, Studios on the Park
Anne Laddon has been a professional artist for 40 years, beginning her career in a San Francisco ad agency as a graphic designer. In Alexandria, Va. at the Torpedo Factory (from 1975 to 1984) she designed the logo and graphics for the art center and worked as a silkscreen printmaker, creating dozens of limited edition serigraphs, as well as a line of posters and greeting cards. She exhibited her work in New York each year at the International Art Expo there, as well as in galleries in Philadelphia and Washington D.C.
In 1984 she moved to the Central Coast turning to oil painting and pastels. Her current work features oils and pastels with bright color, bold design and strong composition. She often creates her work en plein air enlarging and refining these works in her Paso Robles "bunkhouse" studio. “Color and design have been my focus … As a ‘color junkie’ I push color to the limits and look for energy and confidence in my brushwork.”
Laddon studied oils with Ann Templeton of New Mexico in the early 90s and for many years was a member of Alla Prima International. She participated in many plein air events: Carmel Plein Air, Rocky Mountain Plein Air, Tuscon Plein Air, Desert Sonora Museum Plein Air, La Quinta Plein Air, and others.
Laddon was introduced to pastels by William T. Hosner of Michigan. With the pure, luscious color and immediacy of the medium she was hooked! Pastels allow her to create quick studies in unlikely locations (barrooms, kitchens, fairgrounds, concerts). Capturing these spontaneous moments present challenges to be addressed later in the studio.
In 2007 she founded Studios on the Park, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing a creative, educational, and transformational experience to enhance understanding and appreciation of the visual arts. Located in downtown Paso Robles, Studios features artists working in a variety of media, educational programs for children and adults, quality exhibitions by regional, national and international artists. Studios also presents the annual Paso ARTSFEST each Memorial Day weekend.
