Mary Anderson

Inn her own words
"When
people refer to my work as 'paintings,' I tell them that they are drawings,
mixed-media drawings.""
Mary Anderson studied at Chouinard and Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles.
She credits her mastery of drawing to the teaching of Joe Magnaini and the late
Charles White.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she moved to Los Angeles and began her
art study with a high school scholarship to Chouinard Art Institute. A full time
scholarship to Otis Art Institute followed Pasadena City College. In the 60's,
the figure drawing department at Otis, under Joe Magnaini and Herb Jepson, was
very strong. Students worked from life standing at huge easels. The drawing
paper was as big as could be found and images ere life size, which is why the
artist is still most comfortable drawing standing up in front of a big piece of
paper.
Ms. Anderson graduated from California State College at Los Angeles and
began a teaching career in junior high, opportunity, and continuation schools
that spanned twenty four years. During that time, she drew only on summer
vacations and sabbatical leaves. In the fall 1986, she too a leave from
teaching, came to Cambria, and exhibited her drawings for the first time. The
drawings sold immediately and a second career began.
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