Kathy Anderson Spotlight
Kathy Anderson
Written by Liv Barton, June 2025
Kathy Anderson is no stranger to building the experiences that surround her. In 2016, her in-home studio was just built, and her house was on the way. Her studio space, open and airy, is utilized to create, teach classes, and host “Paint and Sip” gatherings. Her work, ranging from landscapes and florals to more abstract pieces, sprawls each corner of her space. Her husband's masterfully crafted woodwork is also sprinkled among the room.
The places she’s been, like Russia, Ireland, and Turkey, influence the work she does now, in Ohio. It’s a generational trait–one that she believes comes from her grandmother. One that she passed down to her own daughters.
Anderson’s grandmother traveled the world, as did she. While studying psychology at Denison, Anderson embarked on a January term in the Soviet Union, where she had her suitcase searched by the Red Army. Later on, Anderson had daughters of her own and sent them off to go see the world, joining them on some adventures.
As a traveler, a good portion of her work depicts landscapes from a multitude of places she’s been with loved ones. Some pieces are inspired by scenes from her oasis-like backyard or local spots in Licking County. Her pieces capture moments of time, memories, that tell a story– one that’s up to the viewer’s discernment. Some of her pieces look like they could be from anywhere, as if her paintings speak a universal language. Peaceful, yet playful, her work reflects some of life’s most still and chaotic moments.
Her realistic landscapes and floral pieces starkly contrast her more abstract pieces. The unseen colors of everyday life are beautifully accurate, like photographs, while her playful pieces offer a deeper glimpse into the mind of Anderson. She calls them “goofy”, but I find them to be honest.
“I really enjoy just playing,” Anderson says.
Her abstract pieces give her the chance to get out of her head and play on a canvas. Lots of her abstract pieces offer a neutral, sometimes black and white background, with shouts of vibrant colors or magazine cut-outs that look so sophisticated.
Anderson has been an artist since she was 9, attributing her exposure to art as a child to her parents. From a very young age, Anderson got her hands on acrylics. She explored oils and watercolors, which became the majority of her work by the time she graduated Denison.
Her artistic mind ebbs and flows, but her relationship with art keeps her connected to it. Her home is decorated with works of other artists, ranging in all types of styles. She proudly shows them off, describing miniscule details about them and pointing out where they need to be dusted. Pieces she’s created in homage to other artists hang along the walls of her home, the gray paint providing a pristine backdrop for each work. At the end of the hallway, a hanging piece of stained glass from her childhood home reflects fragments of color onto the floor. The same stained glass that watched her grow up and discover herself as an artist. Her life, and everything that surrounds it, is a beautiful mosaic of the places and people she’s loved. Her work is a reflection of how she perceives it.