Each year, FestivalSouth® invites a visual artist to share their work through an exhibition, as well as using one of their works as a commemorative painting for the festival.
This year, Darryl Anderson created a beautiful watercolor entitled “Blues Night” as the official commemorative poster for the 2022 season. This 18 by 20-inch watercolor on paper is now being auctioned at www.festivalsouth.org. All proceeds support the arts and artists of FestivalSouth.
From June 4 through 24, this painting and other works by Anderson will also be presented in an exhibition entitled “Colored – A Perspective”, open Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Eureka School in Hattiesburg.
"My paintings are vibrant but not exact,” said Anderson. “I gather information from field painting, capturing the colors of my chosen subject. I often use a camera, then combine my emotional responses to life. All of my artwork is dedicated to my mother, Sandra Teresa Gautier Anderson.”
A native of Los Angeles, CA, Anderson has lived in Mississippi most of his life.
While sketching at his desk as a switchboard operator for the Hinds County Detention Center, former sheriff Malcolm McMillin noticed Anderson’s raw talent and gave him a watercolor set to “try something new. “
He was later gifted a book by artist Wyatt Waters and Anderson was immediately taken with Waters’ unique style. McMillin contacted Waters, who was teaching adult enrichment classes at Millsaps, and asked if there was a spot for the aspiring Anderson – there was. Waters recognized Anderson’s passion.
As a child, Anderson had fallen in love with scenes of the South. Now, he had a medium to translate those scenes with watercolor hues and a brush. Today, he travels throughout the south with a vagabond approach to each painting.
D. Anderson Gallery is located at 127 Gallatin St. Hazlehurst. Call 601-540-6375 for a viewing appointment.
