MARK ALAN ANDERSON is an award winning artist and teacher, who creates paintings from direct observation in the landscape and built environment.
I paint outdoors en plein air, focusing on overlooked places—urban streets, rural roadsides, fields, often in spaces where nature and human-made structures overlap. Working primarily in gouache, I often begin by sketching a scene with a pen or graphite using loose marks and shapes. Rather than capturing every detail, I focus on light and structure, simplifying forms to create a personal record of time spent immersed in a place.
— Mark Alan Anderson
Born in Kansas City and raised in the rural landscapes of central and southwest Missouri, Mark Anderson has spent a lifetime observing the places that now inspire his paintings. He began his professional career as a graphic designer in the advertising industry, developing visual identities for clients including Microsoft, Gulfstream Aerospace, Hallmark, Sprint, and others. Through his design firm, IDea, he created award-winning logos, posters, and editorial illustrations.
In 2001, his path took an unexpected turn when he stepped into the classroom to teach art. After more than twenty years of helping others learn to see the world creatively, Mark returned to painting full time. Today, he paints primarily on location, creating small gouache paintings that celebrate the landscapes, neighborhoods, and quiet places of the Midwest.
Mark Alan Anderson 