The inspiration for Anna Syperek's prints and watercolours-and, more recently, her oils-comes from her experience and observance of the life and landscape that surround her in her chosen part of Nova Scotia. Her mode is realism, rendered with careful attention to subtle details of light and atmosphere. The evocations of rural and urban scenes often convey a peaceful and reverent stillness.

Born in England of Polish and English parents, Syperek studied painting, drawing, and art history at York University in Toronto before moving to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, in 1971. The move allowed her the space to teach herself watercolour painting; to expand her range of media she returned to school in 1977. She earned a B.F.A. in printmaking from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax in 1980.

Syperek's work has since appeared in many solo and group exhibitions across Canada, and a recent solo exhibition travelled to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. She often teaches university drawing and etching classes. Since 1980 Anna Syperek's home and studio have been in Antigonish, overlooking St. George's Bay.