A framed Anne of Green Gables Map

Painting Anne of Green Gables’ Story

A Peek into Anne’s Watercolor Adventures on Prince Edward Island

📖  Click HERE to browse over 40 Story Maps

I’m so happy to share a behind-the-scenes look at how my Anne of Green Gables Story Map came to life! This one felt like warm summer days, iced tea, and hand-worked quilts.  

Like all my maps, it began with a pencil sketch, a well-worn book, and a tall glass of iced tea. 

"Kindred spirits are not so scarce as true love, but it’s rarer than a blue moon when you find one." —Anne Shirley

A framed Anne of Green Gables Map

Here’s what went into the design:

🌼 A layout inspired by the original stories.

☀️ Watercolors inspired by sunlit kitchens, rolling hills, and seashore charm.

⛰️ Details like the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Dryad’s Bubble, and the White Sands. 

Let’s take the train through Prince Edward Island’s rolling hills and riveting shoreline! 

After jotting down the people and places I meet in the story, I begin to work from my imagination. For this map, I wanted to create a geographical illustration of Prince Edward Island. 

I then depict the places I came to know and grew to love within the story. I start from the top with Anne’s Green Gables. The rest of the island flows down from there in a cascade. 

 🖊️ Next, I use my architectural pen to refine my sketch. This pen is waterproof and creates beautiful lines for me to paint in later. Kind of like a watercolor coloring sheet! 

🎨 Now the painting begins! I spend a lot of time getting the colors right. When I say "right," I really just mean the way that I imagine the story. To me, Anne of Green Gables is imaginative and carefree, so I choose colors that reflect that whimsy. 

🖌️ Let's paint! This part takes about two days. I let part of it dry, and I always like to study my painting on day two to see it with fresh eyes. I like to go in with new layers of paint to deepen hues and darken shadows to add dimension to Anne’s world. 

🌫️ Now that my painting is done, you can find me somewhere on a hillside, watching the clouds pass by. Painting a story like this one is hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding. 

Anne’s journey from orphan to beloved member of Green Gables celebrates the transformative power of imagination, the search for belonging, and the quiet beauty of nature. It shows how resilience and friendship can shape a beautiful, meaningful life.

➡️ Click HERE to view the finished map!

Whether you grew up with these stories or read them aloud now to little ones, I hope this map brings a bit of that quiet joy into your home.

Every piece tells a story, and I’m so grateful to share them with you.

⭐ Click HERE to see all Anne of Green Gables gifts. ⭐

Happy reading!

P.S. Would you like to paint Anne’s world too? I've heard from a lot of you! 

If so, I have made Coloring Pages of Story Maps ready for watercolors, markers, or colored pencils. Great for adults to relax and color or share with a child, friend, or family member.

📖  Click HERE to browse over 40 Story Maps