about

Annie McAllister Dwarica is a San Antonio based artist whose work centers on expressive landscape paintings. Her practice is rooted in a lifelong connection to art and a deep appreciation for the grounding presence of the natural world.

Annie earned her BFA in Visual Art Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Following her studies, she spent several years teaching art in community and museum settings, including the San Antonio Museum of Art and Madison Square Park in New York City. She later worked as a high school art teacher in Houston and San Antonio. Teaching kept her connected to creativity, even as her personal studio practice took a back seat. 

After a period marked by significant life changes—including returning to San Antonio, marriage, home renovation, and the birth of two children—Annie returned to painting with renewed intention. This shift marked a commitment to trusting her instincts and fully engaging with her work, allowing painting to once again become a central and sustaining part of her life.

Her current body of work focuses on expressive landscapes drawn from ordinary, familiar places. She is drawn to quiet landscapes that feel calm, centered, and deeply connected to the earth. Through movement, layered color, and gesture, her paintings explore the balance between structure and intuition, control and looseness.  

Working from photographs and direct observation, each painting begins with a general framework that develops through the physical act of painting. Annie primarily works in acrylic, building up multiple layers of color and brushwork to create depth, movement, and atmosphere. Rather than aiming for photographic accuracy or a predetermined outcome, she allows the work to unfold intuitively, stopping when the painting retains a sense of vitality and mystery.

Annie hopes her paintings offer a quiet sense of calm and a restorative connection to nature, inviting viewers to slow down and spend time within the landscape.

Her work is available through direct sales and a limited number of commissions. She will present a solo exhibition at Cappy’s in San Antonio from August 31 to October 19 2026. If interested in collecting, please reach out directly to Annie.

Thank you for being here and taking the time to engage with her work.