Judith Anderson:
CLASS OF 1962
Kaiserslautern American High SchoolClass of 1962
Kaiserslautern,
Judith's Story
Judith Anderson - Biography
I am the product of a military family. My grandfather fought in WWI, my Dad in WWII. One of my brother's and my husband's war was Vietnam. My Dad and Husband were career military. So I was born in Texas's Rio Grande Valley, graduated from high school in Kaiserslautern, Germany and college Jackson, Mississippi. Boy, did I ever learn to adapt. You can understand why I start getting nervous when a moving van rolls by. I have lived in Tennessee for twenty five years and don't know what to make of this stationary life. But Tennessee is such a beautiful state that I have no problem in finding outstanding subject matter to paint.So far, I have lived in Texas (4 times), California (twice) Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida, Alaska and Germany.
As a result of both my Father's career and my parents love of travel, I learned early to appreciate the landscape and all things beautiful. Especially in Europe, they would pack the four kids in a Volkswagen camper and off we would go to some educational site or to see the Alps or the Sistine Chapel. I give them so much credit and love for my wide range of travel and the logistics needed for such family outings. They are both in their 90's now and have slowed down only slightly.
After my husband retired from his second career in the financial industry, we managed to spend a great deal of time traveling and seeing the world. Six weeks in China, a month in Scotland, a month in England, in Ireland and in Spain. All in all, I have a great many photographs which will someday make wonderful paintings. If I should live that long!!
My husband gave me my first art supplies and lessons soon after we were married. I loved the lessons and painting from the start. But first there were babies to raise and a family to establish, then came the art. I had always wanted to paint well and was willing to put the hardwork and practice into it that is required to learn the craft. Slowly but surely I finished college with a degree in photography and started gradaute work in painting and photography. Through formal education and workshops with artists like John Budicin, Ralph Oberg, Sammy Britt, and Matt Smith, I began to develop a voice of my own as I applied paint to canvas.
In my art, I concentrate on the color, beauty and strength found in nature. I want to share with the viewers the impact of that beauty. I want to transport them from to the choas of daily life and to give them a moment of time in peaceful contemplation of God's glorious creation.
Although I enjoy pa...Expand for more
inting outside and seeing details that might not be noticed in a photograph, I never considered myself to be a plein-air artist. I prefered the more controlled atmosphere of a studio. That's fortunate, for in the last five years I had to trade my precious red Miata for a not so precious wheelchair.
The elements of light and color in a painting are vital to me, but I don't try to copy nature's colors. I try to take natural color to the next level.. by doing so, I stress the emotional impact of both light and color.
I believe that the urge to create is inate in an artists psyche much the same way eye or hair color is inborn. For an artist is one who must create. Ceasing to do so is no more a possibility than ceasing to eat or drink. When I have met friends I haven't seen for a couple of years, they are likely to ask if I am still painting. I want to smile and answer, "yes, I : paint.......And breathe and sleep." Not to do so is inconceivable
Update: On December 10th and 11th of last year, I underwent 13 hours of spinal surgery at Vanderbilt Universityand almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. I had the surgery to fuse some
vertebrae in the lumbar region an to remove and rebuild the L5 vertebrae. My surgeon is brilliant and now I can once again stand straight and tall. But less than six hours after surgery was over, a clot hit a fatty deposit in my aorta and starburst into about 20 tiny strokes.God was on my team that day and so far there has been no physical or mental impairment. A nerve in my right foot was damaged during the operation and the right foot has dropped and I must learn to walk again.
I was given an anestheia tht I am highly allergic to and for about two days post-op I turned into a wild angry beast!
But saddest of all, my wonderful Dad died while I was in CCU and I couldn't even attend his funeral. I really feel that he stills lives in my heart and despite the fact that he had alzheimers, he never forgot me. Even when he was so sick,we had some lucid telphone conversations. I promised him that when the Bluebonnets bloomed.I would come to Tx to see him. i leave in two weeks. I shall visit his grave and my brother and I will sing him to sleep with Danny Boy. It was such a privilege to be his daughter. I will pick up my 93 year old mother and we will go on a trip together and grieve and laugh at everything and nothing and Dad will be smiling also.
last week I had to be readmitted to the hospital for my third e coli uti in three months I am well now and home once again.Welcome Spring
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