Southport Magazine

Anne Trombetta gives us rich lush color

Story and photos By Carla Edstrom

Teaching pottery to many retired people, I often hear a lot of my students say that they are busier now than when they were working in their careers. The freedom to do what they want is one of the reasons they are so busy. But some are happy to finally get the chance to do what they really love. Anne Trombetta, Leland oil paint artist and retired middle school art teacher, agrees that she too is busier in her retirement. And she has also figured out how to bring the career that she loved into her retirement by continuing to teach. “I truly loved my work and still do. At this point in life I could be retired, but I find myself busier than ever. I paint every day.”

Originally from Albany and Warwick, NY, Trombetta has happily joined the ranks of retirees who have migrated South. “When I moved to NC with my husband in 2012, we decided to create a studio in our home.  Having a dedicated space to work makes a huge difference.  The door is always open and I am in my studio first thing every morning,” said Trombetta. “I have degrees from SUNY Cortland and the College of St. Rose but most of my education as an artist has come from workshops or trial and error. I’ve taken workshops by Trisha Adams, Patti Molica, Dreama Perry, Nancy Medina and others.  I’ve also taken classes at the Cameron Art Museum, which are invaluable.”

Being a life-long artist and born into a family where creativity was encouraged, Trombetta has enjoyed creating in many different mediums. “Up until six years ago I was not much of a painter.  But after a few workshops in oil I was hooked.  The most important thing for me has been practice…drawing, painting, reading, studying every day.  And patience. When I look at some of my work from two years ago, I realize how much I have developed,” she said. “I grew up in a family where education and creativity were very important.  I was always encouraged to be an artist.  Being an art teacher was the perfect choice for me. I had an opportunity to work in many different areas…clay, sculpture, weaving, jewelry, computer graphics and crafts.”

Although Trombetta has used many different types of media in her artwork, oil paints are her preferred choice. “As a painter I prefer oils. There is nothing like the rich lushness of oil paint.  I sometimes compare it to frosting on a cake,” she said.  “I have not settled into one style, although some people tell me they can recognize my work by the abundance of color and the subject matter. I have many sketch books, including one always in my car.  My husband is a birder and so we sometimes go on outings.  He looks for birds and I look for birders. I carry a camera everywhere and take pictures of the most mundane as well as the more typical.  Either of them can be the impetus for a piece of art. I continue to develop as a painter each day,” she said.  “There is a certain Zen in painting.  I try to get in the zone and enjoy the process.”

Trombettas’s new adventure involves using her talents as an artist and a teacher to help others. She does this by teaching painting and also by her illustrations designed to help children read. “I teach a class called 2HourArtist and I do illustrations for comicphonics.com. 2HourArtist is a class for people who have little or no experience in painting.  I provide all the materials and teach in a step by step method.  The participants leave with a finished painting.  It is very rewarding work.  Some of the participants have never painted a picture in their lives, and are absolutely thrilled with what they can do.  No matter what age a person is, the creation of art is a joy.  After teaching middle school art for many years, I have discovered that age is irrelevant in the artistic process,” says Trombetta. “Teaching art is a great way to learn art.  It forces me to articulate what I am doing, why and how.”

“Comicphonics.com is a website for teachers or parents who are teaching a child to read or write an essay. There is some great information on the website, and entertaining cartoons to enhance learning.  I do all the illustrations,” she said.  “We are about to release six books for beginner readers. Each one has a story line, and activity pages.  This project has been in the works for many months, but with the help of our IT person, the books will be released by the end of the summer.”

Trombetta is very active in the arts community locally with being a member of several groups including ALL, Wilmington Art Association, Oak Island Art Guild, and the Associate Artists of Southport. You can find Trombettas’ work at Franklin Square Gallery in Southport, and she exhibits in most local shows. Her artwork can be seen on Facebook on several pages including Facebook/2HourArtist, Facebook/Anne Trombettaart. Check out both of her websites Annetrombetta.com and Comicphonics.com.