A Journey of Intuitive Realism :: Anat Ronen :: Mural Art
“I have discovered my true calling and am forever grateful for this journey that both brought me here, to US soil – and made me who I am.”
The first time I saw the art of Anat Ronen, I was fascinated! Her street murals looked like you could walk right into them, but that’s not exactly what drew me into her work. It was the subjects- the animals and people she paints with the most amazing expressions! Even the objects she paints seem to have a personality! I feel such JOY looking at her work, and I was so excited when she agreed to be interviewed! It turns out Anat’s story is as awesome as her art!
Anat Ronen currently resides here in Houston, Texas, but she was born and raised in Israel, as she says, “on the other side of the world.”
”I was always a little talented when it came to doodling and arting, but I never though it was out of the ordinary,” she says. “I saw it as that something people often have- being better at something. I always added my touch to wherever I worked, but never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it could be something I’d do for a living!”
“We fell in love with the size and abundance of opportunity.”
At age 35, married and with a 10-year-old child, Anat decided to make a move across the world to the United States, following a 3-week vacation here. She says, “We fell in love with the size and abundance of opportunity. We got ourselves a work visa – a costly move, but worth it.”
This was a terrible situation, however, as a work visa means that an entity is “sponsoring” an applicant. It’s, as she says, “not very different from a pimp-prostitute relationship”
“The only way to break free was to set sail with a special skill.”
It took 2 years for Anat and her husband to come up with a creative plan that would allow them to remain in the US without a work visa. “The only way to break free was to set sail with a special skill – an extraordinary ability – one of us sports. My husband is extremely talented in so many ways, but visual art is, well, more visual and impressive, and so we gambled on me.”
Anat applied for an O1 visa, which is given to people with extraordinary abilities such as actors, athletes, and of course artists!
”To my great surprise, delight – and horror – the visa was granted. From that moment on I had to make a living doing only art, and my husband could not work any more. I have never done it for a living before, and had to get to it, fast.”
“I started... never saying no and always learning, challenging and pushing myself to grow.”
At first, Anat cast her net wide, advertising graphic design, illustration, and murals, having done a few back in Israel.
”After a year or so, it became apparent that murals are going to be my thing, because the rest could be done anywhere on the planet. Murals are local. Also, I was already eyeing the next hurdle – the green card – and to obtain that, I’d need to show a lot more than I did for the visa process. And so I started participating in festivals and projects, never saying no and always learning, challenging and pushing myself to grow.”
“In 2016, 10 years after arriving to the US, 8 years after changing the visa, we got our green card. By now I have discovered my true calling and forever grateful for this journey that both brought me here, to US soil – and made me who I am.”
“Like many artists, I am overly sensitive, so really, anything and everything inspires and affects me.”
Anat describes her style as “Intuitive realism" It’s such a beautiful way to describe what she does so well! Although she now includes the use of acrylic paint as well as chalk and tempera for her work on the ground, she started with latex paint. “Earlier on in my professional career I worked with a company that paints the roads, and they introduced me to latex, or house paint. It’s cost efficient and durable, and we buy “oops” paints at hardware stores (paint that was mistinted and rejected by the client, sold cheap) and even take paint that’s been left behind in recycling centers”
Anat’s inspiration comes from everything around her. “I think the late start of my art career, at age 38, means I have quite the pile of life experiences to draw from, life lessons, inspirations, etc. Like many artists, I am overly sensitive, so really, anything and everything inspires and affects me.”
Anat’s Roar
“My greatest joy is that I found my true calling. Easily that calling could have been missed, unless we made the move and followed our dream to live here. I won’t have to worry about the meaning of life or about being bored ever again. Highly recommended!”