Our gallery of quality LDS art is always growing. This month, we are excited to introduce one of our new artists, Annie Cole!

Gifted in many mediums, Annie is especially drawn to charcoal drawings. She has completed several charcoal masterpieces already available for purchase in our store. Here’s her story.

Annie has always been surrounded by art. She comes from a talented family of artists and grew up exploring different mediums.

While this blog features her religious art, Annie’s gift expands far beyond this subject matter. She has done many commissions of animals and is the artist of choice for many looking to get a depiction of a loved one who has passed on.

Portraits do tend to be her favorite subject matter. As Annie says: “Everyone’s face is so beautiful. It is fun trying to capture it.” She puts a lot of care and reverence into completing artwork of loved ones who have passed on is one that she takes on with great care and reverence.

Perhaps that is why, already, her portraits of Jesus Christ connect so well with people. Annie has a gift for capturing the soul of a piece in her art. The expressions of the individuals and the detailed textures draw the eye and make the individual in the portrait feel present.

We are so grateful for her contribution to Altus Fine Art.

The answer is more simple than you might think. Annie first started using charcoal in high school simply out of necessity. Art supplies were hard to come by, so she would share an art set with her sister. Her sister was often busy using the other mediums in the art set, so Annie resourcefully began to use what was available. She tried her hand at charcoal, hardly anticipating the impact it would later have on her adult artistic career and the inspiration it would bring to so many who enjoy religious art.

While Annie is skilled in other mediums such as oil painting, charcoal has become her go-to. Even when she has branched out and tried new things, she finds herself eventually coming back to charcoal. 

One of Annie’s favorite things to depict in art is textures and details. For example, the hair and material you see in her religious pieces. She finds that charcoal is an effective and enjoyable way to capture the look of different surfaces and materials. 

Of course, not all of Annie’s art is religious-based or even animal-inspired. Her collection of completed work is varied, even including many portraits of favorite rock stars and musicians. She enjoys the challenge of illustrating unique details about a clothing style or capturing a sense of an individual’s personality.

However, her art began to take a different direction when she moved further away from her family and friends. The loneliness and a few General Conference talks inspired her to seek out art for her new home. Specifically, Annie wanted art that would help her feel closer to Jesus Christ. 

Annie soon decided to create the art piece herself to have something that felt more personal. Having her art displayed in her home made her work more visible. And it was not long before her career as an LDS artist began to take off.

We asked Annie about the meaning behind some of her art. As someone who began this new direction of her career when she felt alone, Annie said that she hopes her art helps others find comfort just as she did. She creates scenes she hopes will bring a sense of the Savior’s care into the everyday lives of individuals and families. 

So far, her work has touched many individuals. Both those who know her personally and many who find her work on social media express appreciation for the heart and life she can put into a piece. Currently, “You Are Seen" is among her most popular here at Altus Fine Art.

Annie’s advice to aspiring artists is simple: “draw like crazy”. No matter what your artistic passion is, whether it is painting or sculpting, experience has taught Annie that the more you allow yourself to be creative, the better honed your skills become. 

Annie herself says her parent’s basement is full of completed drawings, paintings, and other works of art she has completed throughout the years. Some she likes better than others, but the important thing was that she allowed herself to explore her talent. Because art, whether or not it is marketed or sold, brings meaning to the viewer and especially to the creator.

Keep checking our full collection of Annie Cole LDS artwork for new pieces. Or subscribe to our email list to stay up-to-date on artists here at Altus Fine Art.

To learn about some more of our artists, check out:

Jorge Cocco: New Pieces, New Inspiration

Latter-day Saint Artwork: Re-Introducing Jay Bryant Ward

Lightweave: A Different Kind of Brush