Artist Biography

Anna Mages grew up surrounded by the lush and dense landscapes of Central Florida. She spent her childhood immersed in palm fronds, wading through marshy water, and climbing between magnolia branches.

From a young age, Anna began creating meticulous studies of plants and insects, using layers of watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil to depict species of the animal kingdom that often go unnoticed. Her interest in entomology flourished during this time, informing both her artwork and reflected in her growing insect collection. 

In 2022, Anna began her studies at Covenant College, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art, Art History, and History in May 2026. Her practice is rooted in direct observation, and her oil paintings often explore the relationship between organic forms and geometry, balancing careful observation with her intuitive response. At Covenant College, Anna's established visual vocabulary expanded and matured, yet she continued to look for the dense overgrowth and complex forms that she cherished in Florida.

In January 2024, Anna arrived in Aix-en-Provence, France, where she spent four months studying plein air painting and art history. She painted outdoors nearly every day in the countryside of southern France, responding to distinctive light and exploring many of the motifs that inspired Paul Cézanne. Although each painting was rooted in a specific location, echoes of these places continue to return in her oil paintings, reverberating through color and light. 

Alongside her studio practice, Anna's study of art history expanded her interest in how artists' circumstances and beliefs shape their representations of the world. Her scholarly work and artistic practice are connected by her interest in observation and memory. Her studies inform her own practice, shaping the way she observes, remembers, and responds to the natural world. 

For Anna, painting from the landscape is an exercise in sustained attention. The longer she observes a place, the more its seemingly ordinary details become significant—shifting colors, the geometry within organic forms, or the way light transforms a familiar place. Ultimately, painting becomes a way of slowing down long enough to notice what might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten.