Annette Kraft van Ermel grew up in the country just outside of Belle River, a small town in Southern Ontario. In 1987 she moved to Toronto to pursue formal studies in Fine Art. She obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from York University in 1992, and has since mounted nearly twenty successful solo shows.
Inspired by colour, nature, music, words, and emotion, some of Annette’s themes have included transition, the beauty in detail, magic, and the state of being. Annette works mainly with oil and beeswax and uses colour to evoke feeling in the viewer. Annette works in many mediums including photography, stained glass, ink, watercolour, and found objects.
Annette also paints large-scale murals, unique wall treatments, and is presently experimenting with installation art. Her work has appeared on book and magazine covers like Steven Ehrlick’s novel ‘The Channel’, in theatre productions, and music videos such as David Bowie’s Dead Man Walking. Annette has also painted creatively for television productions such as CBC’s ‘The Rick Mercer Report’, ‘The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos’ and NBC’s popular reality show ‘Deal No Deal’ with Howie Mandel.
Annette’s art appears in private collections in New York City, England, the Netherlands, and across Canada.