Scott Lloyd Anderson

In 2001, after 22 years as a magazine art director, I left my computer to go paint en plein air. My  experience in publishing  deeply informed my approach to picture-making. I was lucky to work with many talented photographers and illustrators over the years, and they were great teachers.

For a visual person, it's hard to beat nature for a workplace. I see compelling views in every direction, with constantly changing color and light. Despite the cold, wind, and bugs, I haven't once wanted to go back to a desk job.

While the heart and soul of my work will always be the great outdoors, I create some of my oil paintings in the studio, particularly larger pieces. My body of plein air work represents thousands of hours observing how sunlight interacts with nature and atmosphere, then documenting it in oil paint. Those plein air "field studies" (which I sell as finished pieces—most of the paintings you see on this site) provide invaluable reference for the big ones.