Anthony Ackrill

"Olive" surrealist oil painting on silver tray of cocktail olive floating in sky

2019

Anthony Ackrill was born in Alaska in 1958 but spent most of his childhood in Florida and Ohio. He decided to pursue painting at a relatively late age. Subsequently, he studied graphic design and worked as an art director at an established advertising agency. Also, he designed his line of humorous greeting cards, which sold internationally. Following this period, Ackrill began to study drawing and painting on his own. After winning awards in several local and regional art contests, as well as selling some of his paintings, he sought a more formal education to help develop his talent. Ackrill found an excellent atelier-styled school for artists in Florence, Italy, and enrolled in late 1995, at the age of 37. In his second year in Florence, Ackrill began teaching anatomy to his fellow students, and then also taught drawing and painting. After five years of painting and teaching in Florence, Italy, he returned to Florida, where he now has his studio.