INSTRUCTORS
RICK ANDERSON
As an experienced artist, it’s important to me to stay current and relevant. This is why I was honored to have been invited to be a part of FabrianoInAcquarello, 2022, a meeting place for the international watercolor community. I attended watercolor demonstrations, meetings and painted with these artists. It was one of the most comprehensive and fulfilling watercolor events I’ve ever attended. Over 1400 of us were included in an exhibition that was on display so visitors could enjoy seeing each artist’s original watercolor representing their home country. It is a community of friendship, sharing knowledge through demonstrations, working towards the same goals through our world of watercolor. FabrianoInAcquarello 2022 was an experience of a lifetime.
I am a life-long resident of Mississippi. I hold a Master of Art in Education and taught all levels including adjunct art educator on the University level. I retired after twenty five years. Growing up in the Mississippi Delta has had an influence on my art, but it does not define my work. Wherever I travel, throughout the United States or throughout the world, every place has an influence on my art. How can it not? Whatever subject, my work process is the same,
I paint in my studio, but I reference on location sketches, photos taken by me or my wife, and notes generated from these on site references. My paintings include transparent watercolor on paper and 2Dimensional works on paper and canvas. They are created using gathered materials, symbols, compositions and elements stemming from experiences which can be personal, social, political and environmental. This passion, or my desire of artistic creation, began at a very early age. I paint. My work changes. It evolves. My vision is to create art that makes a strong visual statement that is unique. I achieve this by designing compositions with realistic images juxtaposed with abstract designs that can contain collage elements, textures, geometric hard edge shapes, and free flowing lines and areas of color that range from bright and bold to very subdued earth tones. At times, I use gold and silver metallic paint and apply it by dripping, pouring, and spreading it randomly over parts of the surface. This technique creates an interesting visual effect. I want the viewer to walk up to my work and discover elements of interest that may not be apparent from a distance. Whether on watercolor paper, canvas or illustration board, the results do not vary.
