Reared in the Mississippi Delta, Rick Anderson believes there is "magic" in the South, and it is where he fell in love with art, starting his lifelong journey of creation. He displays his contemporary realist style, combining abstract forms often with realistic images, in numerous galleries and competitive shows. His favorite media are acrylic, mixed media, watercolor, pencil, and collage, which he often combines to create landscapes, figurative, and contemporary work. Although his gallery works are at times highly imaginative, Anderson also enjoys painting realistic illustrations in the children's books that he illustrates. Rick's retrospective exhibit of 97 works at the Meridian Museum of Art revealed a wide range of techniques, from photographic pencil drawings to small and large contemporary two-dimensional mixed media work on canvas and paper. With a career spanning over four decades, he has worked both as a professional artist and an art educator. His commitment to producing art while teaching made an impression on his students, and a number of them still consider him a mentor and friend. "I am a lifelong resident of Mississippi. I hold a Master of Art Education degree from Delta State University. My teaching career began in 1970 alongside my professional art career. I also began entering state, national, and international art competitions. Here is a partial list. In 1977 I was accepted into the Rutger's National Drawing competition; 1978 the Rocky Mountain National Water Media Juried Exhibition; 1978, a semifinalist in the First Annual American Artist Magazine Competition; and in 1979 became a signature member of the Southern Watercolor Society. In 1995, after 25 years teaching art in Mississippi Public Schools, I retired from the classroom to focus full time on my professional art career. I continued entering and being juried into watercolor society exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad." Some of these are: 2025, IV International Watercolor Society Bulgaria... Mtaylasia International Exhibition... watercolor societies of Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama... *Fabriano In Acquarello, Fabriano and Bologna, Italy... *2024, Malaysia International... NorthWest WS International...46th&47th Southern Watercolor Society... watercolor societies of Alabama, San Diego, Louisiana; *2023, Freedom Ukraine International....International 6, Thessaloniki, Greece...Venice International, Fabriano International...*2019-2022, National Watercolor Society Member Exhibition...American Watercolor Society Member Exhibition...International 5, Thessaloniki. Greece...Southern Watercolor Society...National Watercolor Society. In 2019, Rick was invited to join Fabriano In Acquarelly, an international watercolor organization that originated in Fabriano, Italy. Over 1200 international watercolor artist meet for a week long watercolor conference, and an exhibition of each of our original watercolor paintings. This spring was Rick's fourth year to attend. He am also a member of the Mississippi Art Colony which was organized in 1948 at the Allison Wells Hotel in Way, Mississippi. In 2024, Rick was invited by Daniel Smith Watercolor Materials, to be a Daniel Smith Brand Ambassador. He recently wrote an article and was featured in the Fall 2025 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine. He attributes his success locally, nationally and internationally to the every day encouragement and support of my wife.He has one son, and he has just celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary in 2025.I am so very fortunate in so many ways. Rick has been included in both the artist and art education rosters of the Mississippi Arts Commission, which features professional artists or art educators who devote their time to practicing, performing, or teaching their discipline. He has presented to schools throughout the U.S. and Germany, promoting literacy through book illustrations, painting and two-dimensional mixed media studio art workshops. Most days Rick can be found creating new works in his home studio in Clinton, MS.