Every month as a part of our Third Friday open house, we welcome a new local 2D artist to showcase their work in our East Gallery. This month, our gallery is adorned with the beautiful paintings of artist Michael Anderson. Read more about his show below.
About the show:
If you approach one of my paintings from across the room in order to closely see a detail you may not find it. I am willing to sacrifice a higher level of finish for more expressive brush strokes, simple shapes and the joy of thickly applied paint. I complete my paintings alla prima, all at once, outdoors on location in the plein air tradition. Texture and energy are essential elements in my work. I strive for my paintings to not only reflect the Midwestern landscape and but to transcend it as well. For me the act of painting is a meditation on the way light falls upon the earth revealing color, form and this artist’s relationship to nature.
About the artist:
Michael Anderson, a Belleville, IL resident, has been an artist, illustrator and designer for over 45 years. Michael’s work has been exhibited at Washington University, Southwestern Illinois College, Art Saint Louis, Edwardsville Art Center, St. Louis Artists Guild, McKendree University, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville and the Ethical Society of St. Louis. His paintings, drawings and watercolors are included in numerous private collections as well as the permanent collections of Southwestern Illinois College Foundation, Laclede Gas (Spire), the City of Belleville, IL, St. John United Church of Christ, Manchester, MO and Angad Arts Hotel, St. Louis, MO.
Awards include 2008 Dona Weder Abbott Award For Artistic Excellence (Highland Arts Council), 2008 Big Splash Juror’s Choice(St. Louis Watercolor Society), 2012 President’s Award, Life Experienced (Southwestern Illinois College), 2018 St Louis Plein Air Open Category First Place.
Painterly Improvisations will be on display at Third Degree through Wednesday, June 19. See more of Michael’s work on his website, or stop by to visit! We’re open Monday-Saturday 10:00a-5:00p & Sunday 11:00a-4:00p.