Anna Santos / The artist
A life with painting.
From childhood to the present, painting has accompanied Anna Santos as a space of freedom and self-discovery.
Anna Santos has painted since childhood. Early on, drawing and painting became a space of freedom, expression and self-discovery — a presence that has stayed with her throughout her life, alongside her academic education and professional career.
She works mainly in oil on canvas. She is drawn to light, atmosphere, reflections and the ability of an image to convey emotion. Through landscapes, portraits and elements of nature, painting becomes a path of discovery: a way of observing the world and drawing closer to what she feels.
Today, she is giving renewed space to this calling. Sharing her work also means bringing an intimate part of her story into view, with a desire to keep learning, experimenting and developing a language of her own.
Explore the worksIn the artist’s words
“I do not paint only what I see. Above all, I try to draw closer to what I feel.”
Read Anna’s story, in her own words
I have painted since I was a little girl. Before I understood the meaning of art, drawing and painting were already a place of my own: a space of silence and freedom where I could step away from everyday life, follow my imagination and be with myself.
Painting grew with me. It gave expression to things I could not always put into words. Among colours, shapes and canvases, I looked for a place where I could recognise myself and feel that my way of seeing had room, too.
Perhaps I began painting to find myself. And to be seen, too.
Life took me in other directions. I invested in my education and built a professional career, particularly in holiday accommodation. I learned to organise, find solutions, work with people and face challenges with determination. Painting stayed with me: sometimes more present, sometimes quiet, but never abandoned.
Today is a time of change and rediscovery. I feel the moment has come to give the little girl who painted in silence a more visible place in my life.
I am still learning. Every canvas brings new questions, difficulties and possibilities. This search is what moves me: experimenting, looking more carefully and discovering how far painting can take me.
I do not paint only what I see. I try to draw closer to what I feel. I am interested in the atmosphere of a place, the way light transforms a surface, reflections, emotions and small details that so often go unnoticed. When I paint, I discover as much about myself as about what I observe.
My language is still taking shape. There is a freedom in this search that I want to preserve: the freedom to experiment, change and grow without losing the intimate relationship I have always had with painting.
Sharing this work means opening to the world a part of myself that remained sheltered for a long time. It means making room for an old dream and allowing it to meet new eyes, conversations and paths.
At 61, I bring a story to tell, a life to translate and a new freedom to discover. I feel that this is my time to give it form.
Some dreams accompany us throughout our lives. This is mine.
Anna Santos
Commissioned paintings
A painting, a story of your own.
Anna Santos welcomes painting commissions. Share your idea, subject and the dimensions you have in mind. The process begins with a conversation about your wishes and what can be created.
Discuss a commissionSubject, format and timeframe are agreed directly with the artist.