As a teenager, Ann began to draw horses as a (not very good!) substitute for having her own pony. Later, she went to Cambridge University to read Veterinary Medicine and qualified as a vet in 1980. Ann went into small animal practice in the north west of England and in 1989 she opened her own surgery, Churchview Veterinary Surgery, on the Wirral. There was little time for hobbies of any sort at this time but Ann joined a local watercolour class and the North West Calligraphers’ Association (NWCA).Ann remained at Churchview until 2000, treating dogs and cats, rabbits and reptiles and other ‘small furries’ ably assisted by her black Labradors, Brecon and Archie.

In 2000, Ann decided to have a major career change and since then has taken part in a charity challenge, cycling 500km through Rajasthan in aid of the National Deaf Children’s Society. In 2002 she spent three months in West Bengal, working as a volunteer for an Indian animal charity, involved in rabies control and neutering the street dog population. She has also worked part-time as a vet in this country and, most recently, as a medical writer for a small company specialising in the oncology (cancer) field.

Ann is married and she and her husband now have one dog, Archie (so-called because he slept in an archive box when he first arrived). While establishing ArtisAnn, Ann continues to be involved in local art classes, the NWCA and the UK Coloured Pencil Society (UKCPS).She has exhibited at the UKCPS Annual Exhibition (2005), The National Exhibition of Wildlife Art (NEWA) (2004 and 2005) and in local exhibitions. Ann is particularly interested in coloured pencil as a serious art medium. To see how coloured pencil is developing, have a look at the UKCPS website and also at Jo Goudie's site, Coloured Pencil Art. Prepare to be amazed!