When North Carolina-based artist Anne Neilson painted her first angel, the lifelong creative was at a crossroads. Then, a day volunteering at a homeless shelter set her on a career path that led to an art gallery, a home goods line, and several inspiring books.
“I painted this one little angel and sent it to my sister. She said, ‘You’ve found your voice,’” Anne says of that first painting completed when she was a teacher seeking a new vocation. Now, her art and the products inspired by her angels have touched people around the world, including celebrities Oprah Winfrey and Kathie Lee Gifford.
In Entertaining Angels: True Stories and Art Inspired by Divine Encounters, Anne explores how ordinary people can act as “angels” in each other’s lives with a collection of stories from herself and her friends accompanied by her illustrations. The title references a Bible verse: “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:12, KJV).
After sending an angel portrait to Oprah on a whim, Anne gained a new supporter. “She called me to thank me for the painting,” Anne recalls. “It was a powerful encounter.” Anne also gave a copy of her first book to Kathie Lee Gifford, which sparked a friendship and a new turn for the business. After Kathie Lee held up the Christmas card Anne had designed for her on NBC’s TODAY show, requests for note cards poured in. “We have a huge product line now,” Anne says, referring to the journals, candles, prints, calendars, and more that Anne Neilson Home carries alongside her books.
When it came time to pay forward the blessings she had received, Anne opened a gallery in her home city of Charlotte, North Carolina, which provides a way to collaborate with more than 50 painters and photographers from around the country. “Our tagline is that we want to be a lighthouse and use art to give back to different organizations both in our community and beyond it,” she says of Anne Neilson Fine Art. A portion of proceeds from the gallery goes to a myriad of causes, including homelessness outreach, cancer research, and food pantries.
The work never stops for Anne, who has published a memoir in addition to her beautiful coffee table books. Every release is guided by the same hopes and goals. “People need love,” she says. “They need that unconditional love. I’m hoping my work speaks not only to my collectors but also to all people.”
Text by Kate Lorio
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