Interview with Artist: Joel Anderson

Why do you do what you do?
I love to paint to make people happy and smile. That is my greatest satisfaction. Painting make me feel peaceful. Sometimes my thoughts can be very busy inside my head and sitting down with a canvas or paper with a variety of colorful paints helps to calm me. Vivid colors make me happy, rarely do I use dark colors. Blue gives me courage, red gives me strength, green gives me joy and yellow makes me feel loved. I have had people say they feel this too when they experience my art.

What’s is your background?
I started drawing when I was 5 and at 9 I began animating with San Diego cartoonist Ray Blavatt. At age 11, I took my first official painting lessons and have continued to this day. In college I focused on animation, graphic design, videography, and art. I attended Expectational Minds Studios in Sherman Oaks being tutored by Howie Hoffman, Director of EMS Animations. I am currently being mentored by International Artist Julienne Johnson of Los Angles, CA, taking portrait painting with Richard Stergulz of the Green Art House in Bonsall, CA and Videography with Adam Lanser through Arts In Motion.

What art do you most identify with?
Acrylic, graphic art, drawing on the computer, watercolor, mixed media and animation.

What work do you most enjoying doing?
I love giving out “Smile Bags when I travel and speak around the world. I designed a logo of a face of a child where the lines are made of the word SMILE in 27 different languages. We put the logo on a red back pack and fill them with art supplies and toys that are appropriate for the ages of kids to adults that we give them too. I use a portion of each painting sold to purchase the supplies and also people love to donate to help. So far we have given out nearly 200 Smiles Bags in at least 10 different countries like Africa, Peru, and China and to the Paradise Fire Victims and also Covid 19 patients at Scripps Mercy Chula Vista. Friends will also take one or two to give out when they travel. It brings great joy to see their faces when they open up the bag and pullout a soft stuffed animal and paint crafts etc. They jump for joy! Maybe one of them will become a future artist.

I also love speaking to schools K- University about what it is like to be autistic, I read my children’s book I authored and illustrated and I do live drawings. It is rewarding to receive letters from the children and teachers how they are now inspired to be kind and be a friend and often they are also inspired to become and artist!

What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
I love sailing at the Tall Ships Festival in Dana Point and Dogsledding with our huskies and of course visits to the Disney Theme Parks

Can you describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
My very first day of painting class, in 2001 when I was just 11 years old, my teacher Sophia gave us two instructions, 1. Use a very large piece of paper and 2. Don’t be afraid to fill the whole page. My first painting was of Mona Lisa, about a 24”x36” paper with acrylic paint. The whole class was in awe, this gave me great confidence to continue painting! I next painted my version of the Man in the Gray Felt Hat by Vincent VanGogh. Both of these paintings still hang on our walls at home today! My teacher was so impressed and encouraged me to continue to paint.

Why art?
Looking at art books, history books and world landmarks compelled me to paint, I couldn’t help but not paint and create. Hopefully my art journey will inspire others and encourage them to smile even if their journey becomes difficult at times just like mine. Jesus has blessed me with the gift of creating art. I want to use the talents He blessed me with to help others know “ The Master Artist”. He created everyone for a purpose and He loves them very much.

What is your goal? What is your artistic outlook on life?
With creating mixed media arts I want to explore many different types of styles, cultures and tools and embracing people of the world to experience this.

What is your dream project?
I would like to expand my studio and I would love to have an exhibition where I can give the viewer an experience of my paintings come to live through animation and videography.

What is your favorite or the most inspirational place in the world?
I love places with deep historical meaning where I have traveled like The Forbidden City in China, Machu Pichu in Peru, The Statue of Liberty in New York City and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. I wrote a poem sharing that traveling gives me great inspiration to create. I would love to some day visit Italy where my favorite artists Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo and Raphel are from. Their works inspired me as a young artist in my very first paintings and I have tried to follow their examples of learning many different skills.