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Anne Garvey is a contemporary visual artist based in Oakland, California. A graduate from the San Francisco Art Institute and Saint Mary’s College, she has exhibited, taught, and collaborated with fellow artists at home and abroad. Garvey works in a variety of media, but is primarily known for her realistic paintings of people and tangled objects. Her art centers around the inner human experience of a variety of mental states. Tangled elements, such as cords, yarn, and chains, serve as metaphors for different states of mind, and invite the viewer to contemplate our common struggles. Her current body of work explores anxiety, trauma, and resilience through large-scale drawings, paintings, and sculptural installation. Garvey’s work has been published in Memoir Magazine, TWIRL: a Decade of Artist Interviews, and the Racket Journal. She has participated as an artist-in-residence at Midway Gallery in San Francisco, the North Street Collective in Willits, CA, the Hoi An Recreation Center in Vietnam, and various educational programs throughout the bay area. Her work has been exhibited widely in venues and galleries including L.A. Artcore, Axis Gallery in Sacramento, Adobe Books in San Francisco, and Manna Gallery in Oakland.
Published on April 1st, 2025. Artist responses collected in months previous.
Talk about some of the logistics of your art practice. What systems do you have in place to help streamline your workflows?
Figuring out where I need help or someone else’s skills and expertise has been a key factor in keeping my career going. For several years I have used a website platform that also allows me to sell directly. I find this very convenient because even though I don’t sell exclusively from the site (only small works that are easy to ship), I am able to track all transactions as well as website traffic details. This past year I also subscribed to an artwork archiving program which has been super helpful for organizing all the information about each specific piece. For example, I can see what’s been shown or sold, and to whom, what’s available at any given time for exhibiting, etc. I’m lucky to have a great little network of friends that help me in their respective areas, such as art installation, photography, and framing, and I can even barter artwork in some cases.
What is some advice for someone who does not have any experience who would like to pursue a career like yours?
I believe, especially in the arts, everyone has to find their own unique path or formula that works for them. That said, there are things I find work for me. As a resource I would highly suggest Andrew Simonet’s book “Making Your Life as an Artist,” because it concisely breaks down what it takes to sustain a life as an artist, not just how to be “successful." For most people, the financial side can be daunting, but I would encourage them to not lose hope, and there are lots of creative ways to make it work. For me, one of the most important factors is finding solace with fellow artists. It is so crucial to keeping sane, staying accountable, and maintaining perspective (as well as a sense of humor!).
What was the lowest point in your art career and how did you overcome those adversities?
My art life has consisted of a series of peaks and valleys, rather than one, glaring low point that stands out. It used to go something like this: high motivation (and hopes) and lots of action in the studio followed by a crashing realization that we didn’t have enough money, working more hours at my day jobs, falling into despair that I was never going to make it as an artist, then glimmers of hope (i.e. an exhibit opportunity). Then the cycle would start over again. Fortunately, over the years things evened out. Yes, the financial side improved, but honestly my perspective change was the biggest factor. I finally stopped looking for evidence from the outside world that I was, indeed, a real-life, professional artist. I stopped asking myself if it was the “right” thing to do or if it made any sense. I simply accept now that I am an artist, and began building my life around that fact. I hold less resentment toward my job and other realities that I used to think prevented me from having a successful art career. I think life is constantly in flux, and art will always be a part of it.
How did you come into the type of artwork you are doing now?
My earlier work included figures as the primary subject, with tangled objects alongside them as metaphors. Gradually I began to focus on just those objects, how they interact and tell their own story. I have become particularly fascinated with seaweed and its potential for deeper meaning, and I continue to explore the line between representative work and somewhat abstracted, or conceptual approaches. Right now, however, I am playing with a very different idea around bars and alcohol. Although all of my work is rooted in the messy, psychological, human experience, this new subject is proving difficult to form into something tangible. I began making small paintings of drinks in various stages of being consumed, but I would like to develop an entire project around the theme with research, documentation, and an eventual installation.
What was an epiphany in your art practice that took you to the next level?
My latest epiphany is a double-edged sword: nobody cares! Of course, that’s a harsh, but it also holds a lot of truth. I built a body of work over the past several years and did a deep-dive into subjects and concepts that I cared about. Then, recently, I sort of stalled in the studio and wasn’t sure what direction to take. I found I was so concerned that there had to be a logical step that made sense with everything I’d done up to that point, that I was afraid to start anything. I kept having this idea nagging in my head about a totally different subject. Without any other direction, I went ahead and began making sketches and small paintings and putting them out on social media just for fun. Funnily enough, I got a lot of positive response. I blew this “body of work” out of proportion, when really, people didn’t care- if anything, they just wanted to see what I was up to in the studio. Reminding myself that I’m the one this stuff matters to the most freed me up to experiment and get moving to the next project.
Talk about some of the logistics of your art practice. What systems do you have in place to help streamline your workflows?
Figuring out where I need help or someone else’s skills and expertise has been a key factor in keeping my career going. For several years I have used a website platform that also allows me to sell directly. I find this very convenient because even though I don’t sell exclusively from the site (only small works that are easy to ship), I am able to track all transactions as well as website traffic details. This past year I also subscribed to an artwork archiving program which has been super helpful for organizing all the information about each specific piece. For example, I can see what’s been shown or sold, and to whom, what’s available at any given time for exhibiting, etc. I’m lucky to have a great little network of friends that help me in their respective areas, such as art installation, photography, and framing, and I can even barter artwork in some cases.
What is some advice for someone who does not have any experience who would like to pursue a career like yours?
I believe, especially in the arts, everyone has to find their own unique path or formula that works for them. That said, there are things I find work for me. As a resource I would highly suggest Andrew Simonet’s book “Making Your Life as an Artist,” because it concisely breaks down what it takes to sustain a life as an artist, not just how to be “successful." For most people, the financial side can be daunting, but I would encourage them to not lose hope, and there are lots of creative ways to make it work. For me, one of the most important factors is finding solace with fellow artists. It is so crucial to keeping sane, staying accountable, and maintaining perspective (as well as a sense of humor!).
What was the lowest point in your art career and how did you overcome those adversities?
My art life has consisted of a series of peaks and valleys, rather than one, glaring low point that stands out. It used to go something like this: high motivation (and hopes) and lots of action in the studio followed by a crashing realization that we didn’t have enough money, working more hours at my day jobs, falling into despair that I was never going to make it as an artist, then glimmers of hope (i.e. an exhibit opportunity). Then the cycle would start over again. Fortunately, over the years things evened out. Yes, the financial side improved, but honestly my perspective change was the biggest factor. I finally stopped looking for evidence from the outside world that I was, indeed, a real-life, professional artist. I stopped asking myself if it was the “right” thing to do or if it made any sense. I simply accept now that I am an artist, and began building my life around that fact. I hold less resentment toward my job and other realities that I used to think prevented me from having a successful art career. I think life is constantly in flux, and art will always be a part of it.
How did you come into the type of artwork you are doing now?
My earlier work included figures as the primary subject, with tangled objects alongside them as metaphors. Gradually I began to focus on just those objects, how they interact and tell their own story. I have become particularly fascinated with seaweed and its potential for deeper meaning, and I continue to explore the line between representative work and somewhat abstracted, or conceptual approaches. Right now, however, I am playing with a very different idea around bars and alcohol. Although all of my work is rooted in the messy, psychological, human experience, this new subject is proving difficult to form into something tangible. I began making small paintings of drinks in various stages of being consumed, but I would like to develop an entire project around the theme with research, documentation, and an eventual installation.
What was an epiphany in your art practice that took you to the next level?
My latest epiphany is a double-edged sword: nobody cares! Of course, that’s a harsh, but it also holds a lot of truth. I built a body of work over the past several years and did a deep-dive into subjects and concepts that I cared about. Then, recently, I sort of stalled in the studio and wasn’t sure what direction to take. I found I was so concerned that there had to be a logical step that made sense with everything I’d done up to that point, that I was afraid to start anything. I kept having this idea nagging in my head about a totally different subject. Without any other direction, I went ahead and began making sketches and small paintings and putting them out on social media just for fun. Funnily enough, I got a lot of positive response. I blew this “body of work” out of proportion, when really, people didn’t care- if anything, they just wanted to see what I was up to in the studio. Reminding myself that I’m the one this stuff matters to the most freed me up to experiment and get moving to the next project.
Find Anne Garvey on Instagram
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