LaWanda Anderson

Working with mixed media, whether purposefully intense and playful in my use of warm colors, or quietly maneuvering pieces with calmer, cooler blues and neutral greys, I truly believe that color has the power of altering our entire person in mere seconds. Playing with and feeling how it captivates and draws the viewer in or causes them to look away: color is brilliant in how it naturally affects our mood.I draw inspiration from my surroundings and the feelings that mirror them, past and present. Growing up on an island with the Atlantic Ocean as my back door amidst pine trees and salt air, my parents were (and still are) a large part of the creative being I am today. As a child, I read and absorbed what I felt were brilliantly colorful illustrations in Richard Scarry story books and explored Shel Silverstein’s beauty and simplicity of ink on a piece of paper. My work pulls from memories of joyous creative freedom, past and present.

ARTIST BIOUsing the mind’s eye to create works that echo her views of the constantly shifting world around her, abstract artist LaWanda Anderson’s emotion from mind to paintbrush is expressed in a style that is uniquely her own. She treasures utilizing bold colors in some pieces and sweeping line work in others to create sensations of undulating movement that have a spiritual and contemplative connection to her canvas or paper.While working, LaWanda pivots her canvas or paper in multiple directions and encourages the rotation of her work while being viewed, as diverse perspectives can be reached. Collectors are able to hang her pieces in ways that speak to them most. LaWanda’s use of mixed media attempts to observe, understand and celebrate life and its richness; the versatility in negative spaces, and depict those experiences with each pen or brush stroke, understanding that positive and negative emotions are important to be shared and revealed through works of art. The use of varied dimensions of circles in her work remind us of the world’s cyclical nature and of life’s events, meager and great. She invites you to navigate these spaces along with her in the immense, captivating and vital world of abstract art.