date published: June 18, 2007
Anne Packard
by Josh B. Wardrop
Artist Anne Packard made a name for herself in the 1960s with stunning and evocative paintings of the dunes, shores and skyline of her Provincetown home. Today, she and her daughters Cynthia and Leslie run the Packard Gallery on P-Town’s main drag, at 418 Commercial St. Packard talks to Panorama about her artistic career.
Q: You began your career relatively late—at age 30, as a newly-single mother
of five. What was it like trying to break through at that time?
A: I hung my paintings on a fence and sold them for $15, $20. After a while,
I met [Provincetown artist Robert] Motherwell, and he helped me along and gave me
some credibility.
Q: Did you receive formal art training, or are you self-taught?
A: My parents wouldn’t send me to art school. My father always said
I would’ve been ruined if I’d gone, and I suppose I might have gotten
hung up on being “innovative” and “artsy-fartsy.”
Q: Your grandfather, Max Bohm, was a renowned 20th century Impressionist. Was his
artistic influence always present growing up?
A: My parents never encouraged me when it came to art. But [Bohm’s]
paintings have been a tremendous influence on both the subject matter and mood of
my works.
Q: Do you find that your enthusiasm for creating art is the same as it’s always
been?
A: I still love to paint. I don’t get up in the morning to have coffee
or read the paper. The painting itself is my oldest friend—that’s what
I get up each day to do.
Q: Do you ever find yourself dabbling with new techniques, or are you set in your
ways as an artist?
A: Cynthia always wants me to be on the cutting edge, and I do play and
experiment. But I’m in a beautiful time right now and very content with my
career.