Ann Trainor Domingue is a New Hampshire-based painter whose richly composed works reimagine New England coastal life through bold shapes, lyrical symbolism, and emotional nuance. Her background in graphic design and illustration forms the foundation of a career devoted to distilling stories into powerful visual form. Working in acrylic and mixed media, she builds her compositions from on-site sketches, original photographs, and thoughtfully layered sketchbook drawings.“I love the same things you do about New England,” she says. “I just reflect on them in a different light.”Ann’s work is grounded in process. Her strong compositions—often populated with abstracted figures, fishermen, birds, boats, and mermaids—are shaped by a flattened perspective and interlocking forms that invite the viewer into a visual narrative. “I’m careful not to complete the story,” she explains. “I want people to bring their own experiences to the piece.” This open-endedness, paired with a hopeful spirit and sense of whimsy, has created deeply personal connections between her paintings and collectors. As her practice evolves, Ann is also exploring new approaches to abstraction—pushing beyond literal forms to capture emotional states, elemental shapes, and symbolic relationships with greater freedom.Born in Fall River, Massachusetts and raised in Rhode Island, Ann received her BA in Studio Art from Rhode Island College, where she studied painting and design. She spent over three decades in the creative industry before shifting to fine art full-time. She is a Copley Fellow, a Signature Member of the New England Watercolor Society, and a recipient of a prestigious fellowship from the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown. Her paintings have been selected for multiple Currier Museum/NHAA Biennials and are held in private and commercial collections nationwide.Inspired by the clarity and emotional depth of poets like Mary Oliver, Ann brings a similarly distilled lyricism to her work—eliminating excess, highlighting essence, and leaving space for the viewer’s imagination. She taught at the Currier Museum Art Center for many years and now lives and paints in Weare, New Hampshire, where she shares a home and creative life with her husband, Michael, surrounded by all things New England. For a deeper look into her process and inspiration, read Symbols and Shorelines: Painter Ann Trainor Domingue on Coastal Stories and Finding Joy in the Work. Hear more about Ann’s unique perspective and artistic journey in her own words on Radio Maine.