Scott Lloyd Anderson had been working as a magazine art director for twenty years, telling stories visually in a way people could understand at the turn of the century, when he decided to make a big change in his creative practice. His mother, who had been a painter, had recently died and there were seismic changes happening as the media industry shifted to digital technology. “I thought, Jeepers, how analog can you get?” he thought. Anderson decided to get off the computer and en plein air, taking his canvas out into the elements. Working outdoors, Anderson sees his subjects as found objects. Going out into our visual world, he sees a compelling rectangle, where someone else might simply walk past. Look at the snow person depicted in Night at the Intersection (2019). A ghostly figure made of snow looms near the center of the painting, amidst snow on the ground that’s warm in color from the amber light. Just behind the snow person, what looks like the moon but is actually a street lamp shines the way toward an urban street. Anderson didn’t make up the hues — the blue gray of the snow person, the earth tones of the snow. Rather, he records what he sees, like a photographer. The painter minimally employs his background in drawing as he paints. Instead, Anderson draws with the brush, imparting modernist ideals around truth to materials. You can see the brush strokes in his works. Maple on Pleasant Avenue (2015), captures a beautiful large tree that grows near his home in the Kingfield neighborhood, when its colors are at their apex in the fall. The light shines on the leaves, bouncing around in glorious reflection and translucency. Anderson records the energy of nature’s beauty in the painting. The leaves are pure emotion, especially in contrast with the realism of the house underneath the tree. That house and the next door one add to the context of where the tree grows. It’s a city scene that explodes with nature’s beauty. One painting featured in Anderson’s solo show at Douglas Flanders & Associates does away with the horizon line all together. The painting shows a view of a waterslide, in a manner that at once employs realism and abstraction. The painting throws back to Anderson’s background as a designer as he translates the dynamic shapes, lines and curves of the slide onto his canvas. The fiberglass of the slide glows a strange green color. At the top of the slide, you see the silhouette of a figure going through the tube. In some cases, Anderson paints the figures after working on the landscape. In Fall Fishing at Lake Harriet (2011), he first painted the canvas showing Lake Harriet couched up to its concrete edge, with grass and colorful trees on the shore. After working en plein air, he worked from a photograph to insert the figures of two fishermen. One is in the foreground, slouched and casual but also focused on his line. The other looks at the foreground figure and toward the viewer. The artist says he used a photograph for the people in the painting in order to get their gestures exactly right. “It’s about their attitude,” Anderson says of the figures. “It really adds to the scene quite a bit.” Still, the figures are only part of the overall work, which is why even through the use of a photograph for the figures, Anderson also worked outdoors to take in the entire scene. He says his working en plein air is essential to his practice. As he fights against the changing light, he immerses himself into the world of his painting to respond, react and interpret, resulting in a painterly expression that is authentic, intuitive, and real.
Written by Sheila Regan, June 2022 Sheila Regan is a Twin Cities-based arts freelance journalist, columnist and critic. She writes MinnPost’s twice-weekly Artscape column, the Star Tribune, Pioneer Press and elsewhere.
This catalogue has been published for the exhibition at Douglas Flanders & Associates Fine Arts Gallery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 9 — August 27, 2022 © 2022 Douglas Flanders & Associates, LLC and Scott Lloyd Anderson All Images are Courtesy of Scott Lloyd Anderson, scottlloydanderson.com and Douglas Flanders & Asssociates, LLC, flandersart.com Design Syril McNally, syrilmcnally.com
front cover / back cover
Printing Smartpress, smartpress.com
Duluth Overlook, February 2015, Oil on Canvas, 26 x 67 in, Detail 1
Fall Fishing at Lake Harriet 2011 Oil on Canvas 24 x 18 in Detail
Lake Harriet: Ice and Sunset 2021, Oil on Panel, 40 x 40 in 2
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6
previous spread
Hungry Jack Morning 2014 Oil on Canvas 40 x 60 in Detail
Ice and Rock at Tettegouche 2020, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 in
Lower Beaver Falls 2016 Oil on Panel 16 x 12 in Detail
Rose Lake 2013, Oil on Panel, 16 x 20 in 7
Minnehaha Falls 2017, Oil on Panel, 24 x 18 in
Crow Creek 2020, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in 8
Dock and Swimming Raft 2021, Oil on Panel, 16 x 12 in
Jones Creek 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
Walking at Lake Harriet 2019, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 in 9
Autumn Woods 2007 Oil on Canvas 24 x 18 in Detail
Early Spring at the Lake 2019, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 36 in 10
11
12
Clouds Up North 2021 Oil on Canvas 40 x 40 in Detail
Last Light on the North Shore 2015, Oil on Panel, 24 x 36 in
The North Shore at Tettegouche 2011, Oil on Linen, 22 1/4 x 30 1/4 in 13
North Shore Colors 2017 Oil on Panel 16 x 12 in Detail
Neighbor’s Garage 2007, Oil on Panel, 22 x 15 in 14
Maple on Pleasant Avenue 2015, Oil on Panel, 36 x 18 in
15
Cornfield Near Tomah 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in 16
Three Sleds 2016, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 in 17
Heffelfinger Fountain 2018 Oil on Panel 30 x 24 in Detail
Snowfolk 21 (The Sentinel) 2017, Oil on Canvas, 48 x 60 in
next spread
Spring Blossoms at the Garage 2016, Oil on Panel, 24 x 30 in 18
Low Tide at Goff Island, Laguna 2010 Oil on Linen 22 x 30 in Detail
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20
21
22
23
24
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Fall Colors 2019 Oil on Panel 12 x 16 in Detail
Purgatory Park 2010, Oil on Panel, 24 x 30 in
Rocks and Water Motif, Seagull Lake 2020 Oil on Panel 24 x 24 in Detail
Winter on Nine Mile Creek 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in 25
Superior Shore, Little Pine 2019 Oil on Panel 20 x 16 in Detail
Convenience Store 2010, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20 in 26
27
28
Mossy Rock 2017 Oil on Panel 20 x 16 in Detail
Rocks on Seagull Lake 2021, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 36 in
Fall Wetland 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in 29
Snowfolk #34 (Night in the Intersection) 2019, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 48 in 30
Red Lawn Chairs 2017, Oil on Panel, 30 x 30 in
In Between the Houses 2015, Oil on Panel, 24 x 48 in 31
32
33
previous spread
Fields Near Otter Tail Lake 2021 Oil on Panel 12 x 20 in Detail
Viking Colors 2021, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
Snowperson 10 (Birdy) 2017, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 48 in 34
Canoes Back by the Garage 2020 Oil on Panel 16 x 12 in Detail
35
Stone Arch Bridge 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
Webb Creek 2018, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in 36
Red, White and Blue 2019, Oil on Panel, 16 x 20 in
Blossoms and Hammock 2016, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in 37
Fishing Dock, Lake Harriet 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
Soccer Practice 2019, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in 38
Green Garland 2009 Oil on Panel 36 x 18 in Detail 39
Waterslide 2009 Oil on Canvas 66 x 50 in Detail
Willows on Lake of the Isles 2021, Oil on Panel, 12 x 20 in
next spread
Upper Temperance River 2020, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in 40
Sugarloaf Cove 2020 Oil on Panel 18 x 24 in Detail
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42
43
Exhibition List
44
Page
Page
Early Spring at the Lake, 2019, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 36 in
10
Superior Shore, Little Pine, 2019, Oil on Panel, 20 x 16 in
27
In Between the Houses, 2015, Oil on Panel, 24 x 48 in
31
Walking at Lake Harriet, 2019, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 in
9
Lower Beaver Falls, 2016, Oil on Panel, 16 x 12 in
6
Lake Harriet Ice and Snow, 2021, Oil on Panel, 40 x 40 in
2
Clouds Up North, 2021, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 40 in
12
Rocks and Water Motif, Seagull Lake, 2020, Oil on Panel, 24 x 24 in
24
Spring Blossoms at the Garage, 2016, Oil on Panel, 24 x 30 in
18
Canoes Back by the Garage, 2020, Oil on Panel, 16 x 12 in
35
Red Lawn Chairs, 2017, Oil on Panel, 30 x 30 in
31
Winter on Nine Mile Creek, 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
25
Snowfolk #21 (The Sentinel), 2017, Oil on Canvas, 48 x 60 in
18
Stone Arch Bridge, 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
36
Snowfolk #34 (Night in the Intersection), 2019, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 48 in
30
Cornfield Near Tomah, 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
16
Fishing Dock, Lake Harriet, 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
38
Snowperson #10 (Birdy), 2017, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 48 in
34
Sugarloaf Cove, 2020, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in
42–43
Purgatory Park, 2010, Oil on Panel, 24 x 30 in
25
Fall Wetland, 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
29
Webb Creek, 2018, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in
36
Crow Creek, 2020, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in
8
Red, White and Blue, 2019, Oil on Panel, 16 x 20 in
37
Upper Temperance River, 2020, Oil on Panel, 18 x 24 in
40
Ice and Rock at Tettegouche, 2020, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 in
7
Jones Creek, 2020, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
9
Waterslide, 2012, Oil on Canvas, 66 x 50 in
41
Fields Near Otter Tail Lake, 2021, Oil on Panel, 12 x 20 in
32–33
The North Shore at Tettegouche, 2011, Oil on Linen, 22 1/4 x 30 1/4 in
13
Dock and Swimming Raft, 2021, Oil on Panel, 16 x 12 in
8
Three Sleds, 2019, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 30 in
17
Rocks on Seagull Lake, 2021, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 36 in
29
Duluth Overlook, February, 2015, Oil on Canvas, 26 x 67 in
FC/BC
Autumn Woods, 2007, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 18 in
11
Low Tide at Goff Island, Laguna, 2010, Oil on Linen, 22 x 30 in
20–21
Willows on Lake of the Isles, 2021, Oil on Canvas, 12 x 20 in
40
Rose Lake, 2013, Oil on Panel, 16 x 20 in
7
Neighbor’s Garage, 2007, Oil on Linen, 22 x 15 in
14
Last Light on the North Shore, 2016, Oil on Panel, 24 x 36 in
13
Green Garland, 2010, Oil on Panel, 36 x 18 in
39
Fall Fishing at Lake Harriet, 2011, Oil on Panel, 24 x 18 in
3
Fall Colors, 2019, Oil on Panel, 16 x 12 in
22–23
Minnehaha Falls, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 18 in
8
Convenience Store, 2010, Oil on Canvas, 20 x 20 in
26
Hungry Jack Morning, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 60 in
4–5
Viking Colors, 2021, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
34
Maple on Pleasant Avenue, 2015, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 18 in
14
Heffelfinger Fountain, 2018, Oil on Panel, 30 x 24 in
19
Blossoms and Hammock, 2016, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
37
Mossy Rock, 2017, Oil on Panel, 20 x 16 in
28
Soccer Practice, 2019, Oil on Panel, 12 x 16 in
38
North Shore Colors, 2017, Oil on Panel, 16 x 12 in
15
Scott Lloyd Anderson American b. 1958, Atlanta, Georgia Lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Photo by Tim G.
Photo by Christopher LaForge
Scott Lloyd Anderson chooses to spend the bulk of his creative time outdoors, painting en plein air. He usually completes these smaller paintings in one session all prima, before the light has drastically changed on his scene. Larger paintings he creates in his studio using these field studies and other references. In talking about his work Anderson says, My practice incorporates a practice and palette that traces its lineage back to Frank Dumond and the Fin de ciécle in Paris. I value accurate draftsmanship, and ideas about composition learned during my years as a magazine art director. My paintings are impressionistic in that they describe the unique character of a particular day’s weather and light, and realistic in their desire to show the world as it is. I use the language of landscape to express abstract notions about design, color, and form — and simply for the pleasing texture of paint on canvas. Scott Lloyd Anderson is a quintessential landscape painter of the 21st century. In addition to interpreting the beauty of nature or the vitality of the cityscape, Scott has explored that area where so much of our experience lies; the suburbs. He proves it is possible to a paint a good picture of anything by combining detailed realism with abstract playfulness. Scott is a nationally recognized plein air painter who has won awards both locally and nationally. His art has taken him from Minnesota across America and to China, Mexico, Canada, Italy and England. Scott’s work is represented in private, corporate and public art collections nationally. scottlloydanderson.com