What is the best thing that I love about my work? To be able to turn thoughts that come from poems, songs or even just words into physical entities is magical for me. I never get over it.

What is my idea of perfect happiness? There are many things: a full work day with no interruptions, time in Cadaques, Spain sitting in the same bar in which Duchamp used to play chess, walking around Rome with a camera and notebook, sitting in a candlelit cafe at night with dear friends.

What is my greatest fear? In all honesty, losing my best friend, my husband Geoff.

What is the trait that I most deplore in myself? I worry too much about big things I can not control.

Which living persons in my profession do i most admire? William Kentridge is the first who comes to mind. I love his mind and I love his work. I also admire Sean Scully for his generosity in writing about his process.

What is my greatest extravagance? Travel.

On what occasion would I lie? To keep from hurting someone.

What is the thing that I dislike the most in my work? More and more I am working larger but because I build my own painting panels and I ship all my work, I dislike the physical labor entailed.

When and where was I the happiest, in my work? I’ve been pretty happy throughout my career but I have a particular fondness for the time when I was first realizing that I could do this as my living. I had a classic artist’s loft space in downtown Ann Arbor and I’d be up there, late at night, music up loud, painting large canvases and feeling like I was living the life of a real artist.

If I could, what would I change about myself? I’d be able to play the cello and sing. Oh and be a fantastic tennis player!

What is my greatest achievement in work? Honestly there have been lots of good moments but overall I am proud that I have sustained a real career since 1986. I have met so many interesting people in my time as an artist and I feel, on my best days, that my work means something to them.

Where would I most like to live? I’d like to live part time in Rome

What is my most treasured possession? I can not think of anything I treasure more than my relationships with my husband, friends and pets. I know that sounds like a cop out but I really have become less attached to material things although I enjoy them very much.

What is my most marked characteristic? Tenacity

What is my most inspirational location, in my city? This is hard to answer. I frequently feel great when I’m on a tennis court at the friendly, unassuming little club we belong to. Tennis is a passion of mine and I find it helps me clear my mind and use my body differently than when I’m in the studio. I feel ageless when I’m moving around the court. I like working at something in which I can see improvement.

What is my favourite place to eat and drink, in my city? Zola because it reminds me of being in Europe

What books influenced my life and how? I have long had an interest in the Spanish Civil War and the art and artists who were directly influenced by that time (in particular Tapies and Motherwell). My interest may have to do with the fact that as a child I lived in Madrid while Franco was still in power. I have a friend (and collector) who wrote what I consider THE biography of Federico Garcia Lorca. Leslie Stainton’s book introduced me to a man whose life was consumed by his art. I read it in Cadaques, Spain where he spent some time and so it had an even more profound effect on me. Lorca’s story and how beautifully Stainton tells it was somehow pivotal for me at a time when I was feeling the need to infuse deeper content into my work.

Who are my favorite writers? Always Lorca, Neruda, Paz, Calvino and lately, Siri Hustvedt and Rebecca Solnit.

You Only Die Once. What music would I listen on my last day? David Daniels singing arias from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. In particular “Che faro senza Euridice”

Who is my hero or heroine in fiction? Like a zillion people, Atticus Finch. I read To Kill a Mockingbird when I was a young teenager and my social justice conscience was set after that. It was highly influential.

Who are my heroes and heroines in real life? People who stand up for justice for others and those who work for animals like Gene Baur of Farm Sanctuary

Which movie would i recommend to see once in a lifetime? My favorite movie of all time is Unbearable Lightness of Being.

What role plays art in my life and work? They are inextricably meshed together. Art is in just about everything I see and do. I am subconsciously mining every experience for sparks for work.

Who is my greatest fan, sponsor, partner in crime? Geoff Michael, my husband

Whom would I like to work with in 2017? My schedule is set for 2017 but I have my eye on a couple of galleries that I want to approach.

Which people in my profession would i love to meet in 2017? My dream would be to meet William Kentridge or at least attend a lecture of his. I’m kind of a fan-girl!

What project, in 2017, am I looking forward to work on? I’m in the midst of a couple of projects right now. One is to make work for a gallery I’m with who has asked me to make large work in preparation for a solo in late 2017 and the other is for another gallery who has a “serious collector” interested in collecting my work.

Where can you see me or my work in 2017? You can visit this page to be updated on my schedule: http://www.graceannwarn.com/words.html

What do the words “Passion Never Retires” mean to me? It means that I hope to be making art in some form until the day my heart stops beating

Which creative heroines should Peter invite to tell their story?
Ruth Bardenstein @ ruthbpc@sbcglobal.net
Leslie Stainton @ lesliestainton.com
Leslie Sobel @ lesliesobel.com
Lynda Cole @ http://www.lcole.com

How can you contact me?
My website is: http://www.graceannwarn.com
My email is: gwarnart@gmail.com