A native born New Yorker Anita Freeman has lived in New England since 1962 . Creating images was important from an early age. Although her several careers eventually took her in a different direction, her interest in the visual arts continued as collector and picture framer and museum docent. She graduated from Cornell University, Lesley College, Boston University, and studied with nationally recognized artists Kevin Shea, J.C. Airoldi, and Lully Schwartz in the North Shore Atelier.She is particularly drawn to artists of Barbizon school with their soft landscapes and social commentary. She focuses on New England coastal themes and maritime subjects. She has painted on Cape Ann and the New Hampshire Seacoast as well as the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain locations.

In her oil paintings she is drawn to the continuing variations of light temperature and movement of the ocean and landscape, at the same time striving to unify the images in approach, palette and content. Her work tends to be bold with strong contrast and color filled. She looks to color to express form and emotional tone, drawing at this time on the unstructured brush strokes of impressionism. She is particularly inspired by Winslow Homer’s treatment of the sea and rocks, John Singer Sargent’s landscape paintings and Edward Hopper’s color palette and approach. She admires each of these artists for their adventurous use of brilliant light to capture and illustrate the image, the day and the mood; they teach: “You must paint the day you are in”.

She has exhibited in Newburyport Art Association juried shows, Lowells Boat Shop Museum, SeArts at Bass Rock Golf Club invitational art loan program, Provident Savings Bank, St. Johns Episcopal Church Beverly, Centennial Gallery, Great Bay Discovery Center juried show, Blue Moon Evolution and multiple featured and member exhibits at Seacoast Artists Association. Whether in the studio or in plein air, her paintings seek to tell a story .

“Artists paint visual doorways. Viewers stand in front and choose whether to enter the visual narrative”. Ken Campbell