Oil painter creates landscape art in the fresh air

Oil painter creates landscape art in the fresh air

(Charity Anderson)


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REXBURG — Growing up in Cache Valley, Charity Anderson was always surrounded by mountains and rivers, and they gave her a desire to capture their beauty.

As a little girl, Anderson's Christmas and birthday gifts were always art supplies. Markers, crayons, colored pencils, pastels filled her notebooks full of doodles and designs. But when she got a bit older, she became self-conscious about her art and put it away.

"It wasn't until my senior year of high school that I learned of a painting class offered and decided to set all fears aside and give it a chance," Anderson said. "It was one of the greatest decisions I made, but also filled me with regret for not trying similar classes earlier."

Anderson said that art is such a big part of her life, it is even the reason she met her husband — in AP art in high school.

"We instantly clicked with our shared passion for art and later chose to oil paint together for our first date," Anderson said.

During her first semester at BYU-Idaho, she put off art again, trying to find a major that would result in a job that made a lot of money. But she found herself frustrated and disappointed with her college experience.

Landscape oil painting by Charity Anderson
Landscape oil painting by Charity Anderson

"Then a good friend of mine gave me the advice that even if I didn't know exactly what I wanted to study, at least start with studying something you love," Anderson said.

Finally on the path she wanted to be on, Anderson said she dove headfirst into her studies and developed her knowledge of design, color and composition, falling in love with her classes. After graduating, she knew she wanted to continue her painting.

"Currently I paint as much as I can, participating in competitions and painting with fellow artists while also working part time to support my husband while he finishes his degree," Anderson said.

Anderson's passion for the outdoors helped her find outdoor or "plein air" painting classes, where artists paint from real life landscapes rather than a photograph.

"I enjoy the challenges of plein air painting, such as capturing the ever-changing light, colors and values of a landscape," Anderson said. "Nothing can compare to painting from life. A photograph will always diffuse the vibrancy out of the subject and tempt you to merely replicate the scene as a painting. Your eye can see things that a camera will never be able to capture. Plein air paintings have a beautiful spontaneity that can't be created in the studio."

After that formative experience, Anderson shifted her entire focus toward plein air painting and created a series of studies that showed the process of landscape painting.

"First, by studying the subject on location, creating a connection to that moment with nature, and attempting to preserve that emotion through the power of painting," Anderson said. "Then using it as a reference for a larger studio piece while being aware to make the studio piece a strong painting of its own and not merely a copy of the plein air study."

Anderson went out into nature every day, carrying a hiking backpack full of supplies and studying landscapes. At her senior showcase, friends, family and fellow students came to congratulate her.

"I saw a glimpse of the future my art career could have, inspiring my viewers and bringing them joy," Anderson said.

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When jumping into the painting process, Anderson said she uses classical music and sometimes hip hop to get her brain going.

"Although I have been painting almost five years, I still get nervous butterflies when I begin a painting," Anderson said. "The right kind of music can spark the adrenaline I need to take the leap of faith to paint."

During an internship her husband had in California, Anderson took the opportunity to visit the ocean and painted a series that helped her learn how to paint a subject that was constantly moving.

Anderson participates in plein air competitions where painters gather in a location and are instructed to paint the landscape before them in a certain amount of time. Her next competition will be in Spring City in the first week of September.


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About the Author: Amanda Taylor -------------------------------

Amanda is a writer and pop culture fanatic who studied journalism at BYU. She has written for a candy store, a US Senator, Deseret News, an art museum, Entertainment Weekly magazine, a beauty company, KSL and several artists and musicians. Find her on Twitter @amandataylor88.

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