Annabel de Vetten

This site is for purchasing Annabel's artwork and runs along side her main site: www.annabeldevetten.com. **Please send any messages via annabeldv@googlemail.com

Born and raised in Frankfurt, Germany, Annabel came to Birmingham, England when she was just 17, in order to pursue her passion for art. After graduating from Wolverhampton University with a BA Hons in Fine Art/Sculpture, Annabel put her 3D work to one side to progress her figurative painting. Each of her striking images go through several stages of process. They are not photos rendered stylistically. Close examination will reveal the astonishing precision with which she works.

Over the past decade, Annabel has exhibited widely throughout the UK, namely Birmingham and London, and has received substantial media coverage. Her work has been featured in a number of national publications including The Mail on Sunday, The Daily Mirror, Heat Magazine, Location Location Magazine, Elle Decoration, Marie Claire, Bizarre Magazine, as well as reviews in several magic publications.

Inspired by the likes of Andy Warhol and Victor Vasarely together with the retro influences of designers such as Verner Panton, the artist began to develop her figurative style, focusing on the female form. She worked to produce images of unknown women that were so sultry and alluring that they looked like stars in their own right.

Being a big movie fan, Annabel also began incorporating scenes from iconic movies into her paintings. Throughout her career she has remained fascinated with the concept of capturing a moment. Rather than merely depicting an actor, Annabel has worked to develop a style that would act as a freeze-frame, allowing the viewer to relive the scene.

The juxtaposition of bold colours and stark backgrounds against the soft forms of the subject provide great contrast in the works. Details are stripped away and features are created using a series of graduating contours, allowing the viewer to explore each piece like a landscape.

Annabel’s most recent collection of work was inspired by the other passion in her life, close-up magic. Constantly using playing cards, Annabel became fascinated with the concept of creating her own cards. Working in collaboration with a playing card specialist in Germany, Annabel created the Jill Deck: The cards where the Jacks are Jills. The court cards in the Jill Deck are based on Annabel's original paintings of her ‘Beautiful Strangers’ series, as seen in the ‘Sleightly Suggestive’ exhibition at Planet Bazaar in London. These cards are available at www,jilldeck.com and cost £10.

Annabel is currently working on a collection of portraits featuring vintage and iconic Magicians. The are available as original paintings on canvas, or small limited edition prints. Annabel has had works commissioned by some of the top celebrities in magic and her work is exhibited by many top collectors. This is an ongoing project, with new works added all the time. She has some fantastic people from the magic world on board for these new projects, so please check back often for updates.

This collection is also available as a range of gifts (mugs, coasters, place mats, business card holders and fridge magnets) exclusively at www.gifts4magicians.com.

Please feel free to contact Annabel with any questions or commission requests. Where a piece of work has sold that you would have liked to buy, please do contact the artist as a similar piece can be commissioned. She also takes regular commissions for personal portraits. Working from provided photographs, Annabel is able to recreate her subject in her trademark minimalist retro style. This option is very popular as wedding or birthday gifts.