About the Artist
Biography
Anna Rose Bain (b. 1985) is a Colorado-based fine art oil painter known for her luminous portraits and evocative figurative works that celebrate the extraordinary in the ordinary. Her paintings often depict people in moments of peace and wonder—especially women and children—and she portrays each subject with honesty, sensitivity, and a deep appreciation for the beauty of everyday life.
A lifelong student of the human spirit, Anna began drawing as a child after being inspired by her grandfather, who took up painting at age 70. She went on to earn her B.A. in Fine Art from Hillsdale College (2007), where she became the first student in the school’s history to present a solo senior exhibition. She later studied briefly at the Florence Academy of Art and continued her education with several renowned artists, including Judith Carducci, Clayton J. Beck III, and Nancy Guzik.
Anna is a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America and a Signature Faculty Member of the Portrait Society of America, as well as a member of the California Art Club and Plein Air Artists of Colorado. Her award-winning paintings can be found in private and public collections around the world.
When she’s not in the studio or spending time with her husband, Steve, and their two children, Anna can usually be found at the gym—lifting heavy weights and finding new ways to test her strength, both physical and creative. Whether she’s painting, parenting, or power-cleaning, she approaches life with the same philosophy: art and strength are both about showing up fully, with gratitude and grit.
Artist's Statement
I paint because I must. It's how I make sense of life—through brushstrokes, light, and the constant problem-solving (my husband says I create lots of problems for myself… he's not wrong).
My work is a blend of classical training and direct painting—think old-world technique meets real-world mess. I love the human figure, especially when it's dancing, making music, immersed in nature, or climbing into my lap asking for snacks. I find joy in subjects that let different art forms overlap and speak to each other through movement, rhythm, and emotion.
Motherhood transformed my studio life in unexpected ways and gave me a voice I hadn't yet discovered. Suddenly, I was painting tired self-portraits and images of tiny humans with sticky fingers and big feelings. My work became more personal and way more honest. It started capturing intimate stories that convey both the wonder and weariness of daily life.
In my early years, I was fixated on perfecting the craft. I chased skin tones, grappled at understanding value and color nuance, and lived for the precision of the figure. These days, I'm chasing something more transient: light that carves out form, color that vibrates, design that directs the viewer like a well-written lyric. I still treasure technique—but now I let it serve the story.
My inspiration springs from the people I love and the moments that stop me in my tracks. These are the things that beckon me to paint—not for the sake of perfection, but to catch a glimpse of something fleeting and true.
Art, at its best, holds both play and reverence. I try to make space for both.