Rick Anderson: 50th Anniversary Gallery #2
Morning Moon by Rick Anderson
Mixed Media on gallery wrap canvas
24” x 30”
$1600
"The overall work has a soft and warm feeling although the subtle moon seems to float in a cool sky. The warm trees appear to have a transparent glow which allows the subtle tree branches to quietly show through. The applied textured lines weave through the landscape creating movement that the eyes follow back and forth, left to right and back, occasionally pausing at the geometric shapes juxtaposed underneath the lines. At the bottom third of the painting, with very wet paint, I painted vertical lines with flowing drips with darker values. I created this painting for the 50th Attic Gallery celebration because of the overall warm, bright feeling that I get when I think about the Attic Gallery, and what the gallery and Lesley Silver has meant to me throughout the years, and what she has done to help everyday artists." - Rick Anderson
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Lesley remembers:
"Thinking about the artists the Attic has represented for decades, I feel the past bubbling to the surface. When I started the gallery, we specialized in original graphics: etchings, block prints, lithographs, etc. When I was considering Rick Anderson's pencil landscapes, I was not sure they would fit my vision of the Attic, but I had never seen any like them. He used repetition of circles and strong horizontals, and there was an energy in his strokes that made me see landscapes in a new way. So, I said, “yes.” We were both a lot younger then, but seeing through his eyes contributed to the growth of my appreciation and vision."
Rick remembers:
"The ATTIC GALLERY celebrates its FIFTIETH YEAR, a wonderful accomplishment achieved by the AMAZING LESLEY SILVER. When anyone talks about the Attic Gallery, eyes open wide along with big smiles followed with sweet words about Lesley. Everyone who knows Lesley has their favorite personal “Lesley” stories. Lesley and I go back these fifty years when I was first asked to hang my work in her gallery. I was in my early 20’s. She took a chance on me. What a privilege then and, what a privilege fifty years later. But her story goes deeper. Lesley does and has always supported artists of all ages and all artistic styles. Each artist she represents is as important to her as any other artists. She’s always excited to show Merrie and me new work that has been delivered to the gallery. She takes the time to talk about the artists behind the work like a proud parent talking about their children. When someone purchases a painting, a piece of pottery, a handmade scarf, a piece of jewelry, the purchaser learns a lot about the artist and why she loves their work. Lesley is one of a kind. As with many successful businesses we don’t have to look far to recognize someone who is always behind the scenes at the Gallery. Thanks too goes to Daniel Boone for everything he does and continues to do. If anyone who reads this has not yet been to the Attic Gallery, it’s definitely a DESTINATION, so put this on your calendar. You’ll thank yourself later. When you enter the gallery, you’ll be greeted by an amazing person, Lesley Silver."
Artist Statement
Growing up in the Mississippi Delta has a strong impact on my art. The Delta is expansively flat and yet complex, with linear planes created by flooding, farmland, wooded areas and open fields that repeat, one after another, toward the horizon. My work reflects this complexity, but the Delta does not limit my art. As I travel, whether in the United States or abroad, where the terrain changes, I capture these changes of place through sketches, notes, memory, and photography. I often work in a spontaneous and fluid manner beginning with just a basic idea. As I incorporate design elements through images, shapes, and layering techniques, the work itself guides me. I find the journey of discovery personally fulfilling. I invite the viewer to arrive at his or her own interpretation of the work. I don’t define myself as a one media artist. This allows me the flexibility to create work using a variety of methods and media.
Bio
Reared in the Mississippi Delta, Rick Anderson believes there is “magic” in the South, and it is where he fell in love with art, starting his lifelong journey of creation. He displays his contemporary realist style, combining abstract forms often with realistic images, in numerous galleries and competitive shows. His favorite media are acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, pencil, and collage, which he often combines to create landscapes, figurative, and contemporary work. Although his gallery works are at times highly imaginative, Anderson also enjoys painting realistic illustrations in the children’s books that he illustrates. Rick’s retrospective exhibit of 97 works at the Meridian Museum of art revealed a wide range of techniques, from photographic pencil drawings to small and large contemporary two-dimensional mixed media work on canvas and paper.
With a career spanning over four decades, he has worked both as a professional artist and an art educator. His commitment to producing art while teaching made an impression of his students, and a number of them still consider him a mentor and friend.
Rick has been included in both the artist and art education rosters of the Mississippi Arts Commission, which features professional artist or arts educators who devote their time to practicing, performing, or teaching their discipline. He has presented to schools throughout the U.S. and Germany, promoting literacy through book illustrations, painting, and two-dimensional mixed media studio art workshops. In 2020 Rick became a member of the international watercolor group, “Fabriano N Acquarello”. Most days Rick can be found creating new works in his home studio in Clinton, MS.
Most of the pieces featured were created new for these, and are for sale. To purchase, call Lesley at the Attic Gallery: 601 638 9221. atticgal@aol.com
T-Shirts, coffee cups and more available
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