Fall 2023

54 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 3 I t’s well known that what we see of an iceberg is only a portion of the mass of the object. So it is with the gorgeous plein air land- and seascapes that flow from Ben Anderson’s paint brush. He’s not just an oil painter of rare and remarkable talent, he’s also a sculptor, printmaker, arts educator, author and animator. And Ben is also an accomplished jazz musician, an experience that informs his painting. “Plein air is the heart and core of who I am as a painter. It’s all about going out and appreciating nature, but also the rhythm of the landscape,” Anderson says.“The elements are constantly changing—the clouds, light- ing—as the players in a jazz ensemble react to each other. As a painter I do much the same. I paint the shifts and the changes.” Anderson was juried into the Carmel Art Association in 2021, joining the ranks of generations of fine artists, including his mother, painter Jennifer Anderson. He has recently accepted a position with Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches,Texas.“I will be developing a dig- ital animation program, not from the tech side, but as a fine artist.” Anderson’s work is available at the Carmel Art Association on Dolores Street in Carmel. For more information, and to view available works, visit www.carmelart.org/benjamin-anderson or call 831/250-3347. — Michael Chatfield ART I ST PROF I L E Ben Anderson Photo: Kelli Uldall