When Everything Belongs
“Gestalt” is one of those annoyingly useful words that artists occasionally borrow from psychology. It’s also one of those words I avoid using in ordinary conversation because it sounds like I’m trying a little too hard. The basic idea is simple enough, though. We tend to experience things as a whole rather than as a…
In Praise of a Good Hat
I’ve always liked hats. Maybe I inherited that from my dad. He rarely went outside without one. According to him, it was all about protecting his increasingly bald head. Fair enough. But he also had some wonderfully eccentric choices, especially the fuzzy Russian hats that appeared every winter. Looking back, I suspect my fondness for…
Half a Mile Down the Street
It’s easy to overlook the place you know best while searching for something meaningful to paint. I think most artists are guilty of this. We imagine the next great subject must be somewhere else—across town, down a country road, or waiting at the next plein air festival. Every so often, though, I find it worthwhile…
Being There.
With the plein air competitions wrapped up for now, I’ve been using June to paint for myself. Painting on location forces me to work quickly while sharpening the technical skills needed to capture the visceral feeling of a place. I’m always surprised by how different the world looks in person compared to a photograph. Cameras…
Painting Against the Wind
On the last day of the 2026 Historic West Bottoms Plein Air Festival, I found myself driving around the dusty northern edge of the district looking for a scene that somehow captured the place for me. The wind had been relentless throughout the festival, whipping through the streets for three straight days, and Sunday morning…
May was an eventful month.
May was an eventful month. It seemed like nearly every day was filled with a plein air festival, quick paint, sketch outing, or the less glamorous task of matting and framing work for one of those events. Early in the month, I battled my way through a rainy evening at the Rice Gallery of Fine…
Mark Alan Anderson 