31 were here last night and kissed the painting.’” When Anne and her husband moved to Massachusetts from Connecticut, she felt she needed an agent in order to get into galleries in Boston and build her resume. “It gave me confidence.” But she didn’t need an agent for long. “I have a voice now and can represent myself.”
Therapeutic Riding program for people with cognitive, physical, and emotional disabilities; Make-a-Wish; the Ocean House Arts’ Program; and the Junior League among many others. “I’ve given away more than I’ll ever sell. It means more to me than just giving money because I’m truly giving a piece of myself. It warms my heart, makes me feel good.” Gaffey admits, “some paintings just paint themselves, while some are a real challenge. Sometimes I leave something for a bit, then come back to it, and there’s a whole new perspective. That’s when I say, ‘the angels
Yes, she is serious, but also playful, and this comes out in her work. Anne’s style is nothing if not whimsical, a good example of that being the baby beluga she painted in 2005 as part of the Whale Trail public art project in southeastern Connecticut. Anne created “Celeste,” who is still in residence outside the Niantic Cinema in downtown Niantic and is both a recognizable and popular town figure. One of the more intriguing abstract works installed and hanging exclusively with her other work at the Bee & Thistle Inn in Old Lyme is titled, “Full Circle,” dedicated to victims of abuse, whether physical, from gender bias, or other causes. It is a collage incorporating many layers, scrapings, brilliant colors, mark making, and a spirit of enlightenment. Gaffey says her work is influenced by a multitude of artists, among them Jackson Pollack,
Jasper Johns, and French-American sculptor, painter, filmmaker Niki de Saint Phalle, but one thing is certain. Even though she no longer has to produce one painting at a time as she did when her children were small, the work of Anne Gaffey is one of a kind, and that’s what everyone from the one time buyer to collectors seems to like. Her work has been prominently featured at Williams Sonoma, Loew’s Coronado Resort (California), and the showcase homes of the American Society of Interior Designers. She has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, San Diego Design and Decor, and shows in Boston, Connecticut, and New York. Kind of makes you wonder what that fifth grade art teacher would say today..the rigid stick figure who was so unbending and criticized the artistic attempts of a ten year old, but whose vitriol created Anne Gaffey, Artist...a person of inspiration, intuition, and intention who found her voice after listening to the one in the bubble bath. You may contact Anne directly at (860) 912-0829 Visit her online at www.annegaffey.com Anne’s studio is located in downtown Hudson, Massachusetts at 14 Main Street. Or stop by the Bee & Thistle in Old Lyme, the only Connecticut venue for the work of this unique and whimsically wonderful artist
