Anna L. Conti was born at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Maryland and has lived all over the United States. Her art career as an illustrator began while she was in high school and she worked in commercial art for six years. By 1975 Conti became disillusioned with the commercial art field. She became interested in a more personally meaningful vocation and went into nursing. Almost two decades later, she retired from nursing to return to her creative beginnings. She as been painting full time as a fine artist since 1994.

Identifying as a realist, the subject matter in her paintings is recognizable and seems "photographic."  She takes reference photographs in the initial stages of a painting, but her paintings are not simply copies of photographs. She uses both her training as an illustrator and computer technology to edit, compose and designing the images. She then transfers the drawing using the traditional grid method and paints the line work in a deep red color. Her style is labor intensive and her process frequently involves over ten layers of semi-transparent acrylic paint mixed with glazing medium. This multi-layered process creates glowing color depth and luminosity even in mundane materials like cement. The patient craftsmanship of the work is immediately evident in her fine detail and rendering of texture.  

Anna Conti's paintings are deeply influenced by her connection to her neighborhood (she's been living in the Sunset District since 1987) and her interest in myth and symbolism. Symbolism has always been a strong interest of hers and it is in every painting. However, intentionally subtle use of it ensures the paintings are accessible without knowledge of the symbolism. 

Conti often works in series, spending a year or more focusing on a particular concept. Currently she has been working on a series of paintings about urban “caves” such as local parking garages. Her previous series ”Trickster Throws the Dice” was featured in a solo exhibit at the Hang Annex in 2004. Her 2006 series will be about the relationship between time, space, and humanity. She works in her studio full time. Once or twice a week she goes out to paint and photograph San Francisco. She is active in the San Francisco art community and publishes a daily internet arts journal focused on life as a working artist and local art at www.bigcrow.com.

Selected Exhibitions

Solo

Mar. 2007 - "Red Sparrow" Newmark Gallery, San Francisco

Oct. 2003 - "Trickster throws the Dice" HANG Art, 556 Sutter St., San Francisco

May 2001 - "Doggie Daze" (30 Doggie Diner paintings) HANG Art, San Francisco

Jan. 2000 - Circadia Coffeehouse, 2727 Mariposa Street, San Francisco CA

Sept. 1996 - Squat & Gobble Cafe, San Francisco, CA

Jul. 1996 - The Cookie Shop, San Francisco, CA

Jun. 1996 - Crepe & Coffee, San Francisco, CA

Apr. 1996 - "Everybody's Fool" ARTwork Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Group

Dec. 2006 - "tiny" Studio Gallery, San Francisco

Aug. 2005 - Newmark Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Jun. 2005 - Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Mar. 2005 - Studio Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Jun. 2004 - "Art in the Avenues" Hall of Flowers, San Francisco, CA

Jan. 2003 - "Red" HANG Art San Francisco and Palo Alto

Nov. 2002 - "Realism" HANG Art San Francisco and Palo Alto

Aug. 2002 - "Produce" HANG Art San Francisco and Palo Alto

Jul. 2001 - dadafest2001, SOMARTS Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Mar. 2001 - "Homage to the deYoung" HANG Art San Francisco and Palo Alto

Oct. 1997- Dec.2004 - Corner Cup Cafe and Joubert's Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

Nov. 1996 - "Art Hell" ARTwork Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Aug. 1996 - "Women At Work" and  "One Night Stand", ARTwork Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Jun. 1996 - Golden Acrylic Paint competition, 2nd place winner, Amsterdam Art, Berkeley, CA  

May 1996 - "Skin Deep” ARTwork Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Apr. 1996 - "Everybody's Fool" ARTwork Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

Jan. 1996 - Magical Earth Gallery, Mill Valley, CA

Nov. 1995 - "Art Hell", ARTwork Gallery, San Francisco, CA

Oct. 1995 - Exhibitor, "Festival Of The Goddess", Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA

July 1995 - "Three Visions of the Sacred" Magical Earth Gallery, Mill Valley, CA

Oct. '92,'95,'96,'97,'99,'04,'05 -, San Francisco Open Studios Participant