meet Anna Fox

Over the past decade I have researched the movement of energy in the body, the conscious and subconscious Self, and in relationships. My exploration has spanned fields of psychology and energy medicine. I look at abstract subjects like consciousness development, authentic communication, creative & collaborative leadership. My experimentation in paint allows the time, space and fluidity needed for integration. As a result of visualizing my studies I have been able to embody at a faster and deeper rate than previously experienced, and many viewers have reflected the same experience.  My collection is a timeline of my history tracking the expression of energy through our physical forms. 

For over 20 years I have been a participant with University of Virginia's graduate psychology department in the Kliff/Vida study.  Since age 13 I've assessed the development, influences and impacts of my personal relationships at a graduate level. 

​For over 15 years as an autodidact I have studied psychology, secular spiritual and religious practices, indigenous energy medicine and even a little biology and physics.

For over 10 years since graduating from Savannah College of Art & Design my paintings and drawings have examined the pathways of connection and separation in relationships. I've presented on oil painting, materials and practices over 150 times at over 20 colleges, universities and art organizations across the country. 

​Today I use the arts to guide individuals and groups in activating their most authentic expressions of power and creativity. We support every aspect of their life by creating their desired changes and sustainable progress. I share this work through classes, speaking, and individual coaching. See my classes for more information. 

Click to listen to Anna's podcast interview on "Everyday Artist"

The Details

Hi there. My name is Anna Fox Ryan.  I'm an artist and a creativity mentor. I earned my BFA in painting and illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design in 2008 and have been a professional artist ever since. I'm also insatiably curious about the human experience. This has led me to independently study psychology, consciousness development, feminine & masculine polarity and integration, and communication.
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I was recruited by the University of Virginia’s graduate psychology department at age 13 to be a study participant for the Kliff Project. As a result I have been assessing my relationship dynamics at a graduate level for 20+ years. I studied shamanic energy medicine with Alberto Villdolo Ph.D. and Marcella Lobos among other gifted Shamanic practitioners at the Four Winds Society. I spent over 3 years co-leading an international conscious women’s group.  

From 2018 - 2019 I was the Program Director, Chief Curator and a permanent artist in residence at the Artist Residency in Kingman, Arizona. During my time with ArtHub I expanded the program by bringing artist lectures to the local high school and hosting events for the local art community. During the inaugural semester of the new program, ArtHub reached over 200 students through class visits and field trips hosted at the artist's studios. Before returning to the east coast to live closer to family in 2019, I advised on the merger between ArtHub and the local arts center, working with a team to establish an art education program that continues to thrive today. 

Prior to my directorship I was awarded a year long artist residency with ArtHub from September 2017-2018. In 2016 I was juried into a residency with visionary artists Alex Grey & Allyson Grey at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, and in 2014 I attended the Barnes Artist Residency in Umbria Italy (it was delicious). 

I'm happy to say that my work hangs in collections of prominent individuals and institutions throughout the US and Europe reaching as far as London, Finland and Portugal. I lovingly refer to my collectors as "guardians". Each piece has it's own spirit and when a person(s) brings a painting into their home it's the start of a relationship and even self discovery through their time spent with the piece.

I rarely seek to exhibit my work, choosing to spend the majority of my time in the studio focusing on research, painting and writing. My work was exhibited in Provincetown Art Museum in 2016 and 2017. In 2013 my paintings were presented by Neiman Marcus in King of Prussia Pennsylvania.

In 2020 I returned to live in the country outside of my hometown of Charlottesville, Virginia.

​A Casual Interview with Anna

Where do you source your inspiration from?
My life experiences. I'm an HSP (which means Highly Sensitive Person) and I'm an empath. I basically feel everything and it's pretty intense. I use my art to process the big subjects that typically arise in my primary relationships (romantic partner, close friends, family). If I can translate a feeling or concept visually then I can reorient myself and find my right-relationship with it (be at peace in my power and ability to accept it or facilitate needed changes). Then I can just let it move through me.  By releasing feelings and ideas into a new form like this I free myself of congestion or debris that might otherwise get stuck in my psyche or energy field. I literally paint, dance and create for my life, my health, my wellbeing. The fact that I have a ton of paintings that are both soulful and relational turns out to be an amazing bonus.  Some pieces can even be used as educational tools, and that is what really keeps my soul singing. I want to be able to return some of the learning I've collected over the many years of this kind of conscious self inquiry. My latest works feel like a bridge into service in that way. 

What is your next body of work? 
I'm interested in finding strong partnerships to support the goal of using the arts to enhance education for mental and emotional health. Part of this includes implementing my paintings as educational tools. In the meantime I'm including these works in teaching programs for youth empowerment through the arts. My teaching is a necessary divergence from painting on my path of service.  I consider this leg of my journey to be part of the overall body of work that is my life's work. 

How do you sell your paintings?
People who have purchased my paintings have typically found me organically by word-of-mouth.   I'm kind of a secret, but maybe the secret is getting out. I'm an introverted person and my works are highly personal, so when I'm approached for a purchase I consider both the sale and the relationship that my painting and I will be entering into.

How do you price your paintings?
It's based on value, not an equation. I charge what is fair and will provide me with a proper living as someone who has committed the past 20+ years and the rest her life to her mastery in the arts and pursuit of conscious awakening. When I set my prices I consider everything that went into the piece including the artistic, spiritual and psychological training and expertise. I also consider whether it offers a transmission or is a more simple documentation. 

Do you accept commissions?
When the project is right. One theme of commissions that I enjoy are  painting abstract translations of people's special relationships. When love turns into a colorfield, it can be ecstatic and stunning. 

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