The Work of Art BEING CREATIVE TAKES DISCIPLINE FOR THIS MULTI-FACETED ARTIST
Ann Marie Campbell Photo by Aniko Kiezel
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nn Marie Campbell couldn’t get Marilyn Monroe’s mouth right. It was the early 1990s and Virgin Megastore had come to Sacramento to compete with Tower Records. Already a well-known local muralist, Campbell was commissioned by Richard Branson to paint murals at his Virgin Megastores in 25 cities across the country. Campbell had been struggling to paint Monroe’s pout for a mural in Florida for more than six hours when she decided to throw in the paintbrush and return to her hotel. That night, Campbell dreamed about Marilyn’s mouth. The next day, she returned to the store and painted it perfectly. “We all have days like that, but it’s important to give it a shot,” says Campbell, a Los Angeles native who has an atelier at 30th and T streets. “Most days it works out, but you have to fight through it. The art of being creative takes a lot of planning and care—almost like having a baby. Creativity is not for wimps.” Campbell is stronger than most. After a rough upbringing, she decided to pursue her love of art at UCLA, where she earned a degree in painting, sculpture and graphic arts, plus a teaching credential. A talented artist since childhood—she started art lessons at age 11—Campbell was determined to build a classical foundation. “You have to start out at the basics, like learning chopsticks on the piano,” Campbell says. “Art is visual music—our eyes are trained to look at the world in ways that make sense to us. Windows are painted as
JL By Jessica Laskey Open Studio
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