A former educator, Anne Hempel has turned her love of art into a full-time business. Her artwork has been exhibited locally and regionally, and is created on hand-crafted wood panels. The results are decidedly happy and light, making viewers feel more connected to nature. By applying layers of thickened acrylic paint with glazes in between, she builds rich color and texture that evoke a time-weathered patina. The wooden panels are a perfect surface for using a palette knife and various tools to carve into the wet paint, creating a kind of three-dimensional sculptural rendering. Hempel is constantly experimenting with color and texture, and her technique is always evolving.