Karen Veditti first came to Anguilla in December 2005 to visit lifelong friends Linda and Mimi Gratton, residents of Anguilla for the past 12 years. The sisters had long told Venditti about the charm and beauty of Anguilla, but once here the artist was hooked. “I felt an immediate positive connection to the rhythm of the island” Venditt explains. Her subsequent visits in 2006 and earlier this year only served to reinforce her desire to depict Anguillians on canvas.

“Anguillian’s peaceful manner inspires me” Venditti says. “ The pace of life here and the fact that people take time to talk to one another and share stories is a wonderful thing. You don’t see that in most cities and towns anymore.”

Venditti’s perception of present-day Anguilla is reminiscent of the island circa 1967- peaceful, picturesque and tranquil. A place where the true beauty of the land is reflected in its people. “Anguillians are beautiful people, both inside and out,” says Venditti “ I just wanted to paint them and capture their spirit in my paintings”.

An accomplished artist who always paints for a cause, “it’s my way of giving back” she explains, has had numerous shows of her work in her hometown of Montreal, and often donates a percentage of the painting sales for fundraising efforts. She is regularly commissioned to paint portraits because of her uncanny ability to capture the essence of her subjects through their eyes.
Venditti has been teaching oil painting for the past 10 years in her suburban Montreal studio, which she recently sold. The success of her classes, though fulfilling, left her little time to paint for herself. Since returning to Anguilla in early April, she has spent the past 6 weeks painting on the porch of her friend’s Cul-de-Sac home, illustrating Anguillians in every day life. “The positive energy of this island comes from its people.” Venditti asserts. “Don’t get me wrong, the beaches are spectacular, but it’s the people who make Anguilla real for me”.

Anguilla’s 40th anniversary seemed like the perfect opportunity for the artist, who goes by the name Nerak professionally, to exhibit her work. The recent rise in crime on the island has also spurred Venditti to reveal the peacefulness that she feels here through her work. “Ironically, I came here to paint and capture the tranquility of Anguilla, but the night I arrived Mimi and her daughter were attacked in a home in South Hill. I suddenly became aware that everyone was fearful and on edge. I wanted to portray my vision of peace in the people as a way of reasserting that spirit. ”

Nerak’s art will be displayed in her collection “Vision of Peace; Celebrating the People of Anguilla” at Art Café gallery in the Coconut Paradise Building on the main road in Island Harbour from May 25th through until June 3rd , 2007. For more information, please call 497-3302 or 497-8595.

Karen Veditti

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