Kirsten is an award winning plein air artist from Long Beach, California, now living in Sheridan, Montana. She believes in the basic principles of representational art as a base for the spontaneity of plein air painting. Kirsten says that her plein-air work is about developing her skills and catching the light in that three-hour window before it changes. She endeavors to create beautiful paintings that elicit an emotional response from the viewer.
Anderson attended Occidental College for her ABA in Psychobiology with minors in Art and History and Cal State Long Beach for a BS in Health Care and her training in illustration and art. She has traveled with her palette and sketchbook on 6 continents and her paintings are a personal diary of her travels.
"Painting is an endless pursuit that touches my soul. My paintings are done primarily on location in the traditional style of California Impressionism. My sculptures are a foray into capturing an essence of my subject with energy and life. I have a wanderlust spirit that fits perfectly with an outdoor painter. I feel inspired to capture the essence of the day through the illusion of brushstrokes and paint."
Anderson’s plein-air landscape and figurative work is an extension of her commercial-art background—she supplied California Pizza Kitchen with literally thousands of original paintings on 10-inch pizza boxes, featuring ingredients used in its restaurants. Working fast to keep up with these orders developed her skill and technique, and it’s the kind of painting she still prefers today. Her artwork is placed in Acapulco Restaurants, California Pizza Kitchen and Marie Callendar's locations throughout the United States, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines.
About the EPAT Ranch Fellowship…
Sounds like a fantastic immersive experience. One always wishes for more time to really explore some ideas and not have the pressure of always creating a masterpiece in a timed competition. One of my favorite pieces is my museum purchase award painting, "Leddy Girls" which really was painted just so naturally, it felt like it flowed out of me. I had noticed all the Leddy Boot shop paintings had very similar subject matter: men in cowboy hats working on the boots. No one had painted the beautiful sewing machines or the women stitchers. I was very drawn to painting that oft ignored corner of the shop. I think that's what happens when you're actually painting from your heart. It just comes out very powerfully and it lends a layer of authenticity the viewer can sense. I haven't really ever had just time, time, time, to paint, paint, paint. I've always squeezed it in between other jobs and responsibilities like most of us, but this experience sounds like I could really take some time to explore ideas and relax without a lot of distractions which is ideally how it ought to be done.
I would be honored to bring a fresh eye to ranching subject matter, and possibly explore a little bit in clay and watercolor, which are also mediums I enjoy. I would love to connect with the locals and the ranching community and share some art and ideas in the beauty of West Texas and experience some more of that fabulous Texas hospitality. I am moving to my boyfriend's family ranch (what's left of it) of what used to be a sheep and apple ranch in Sheridan, Wyoming. While not a working ranch there are horses and I'd love to learn about that lifestyle that is so meaningful to those that have that history in their blood.
- Kirsten Anderson
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