Roy Andersen (1930–2019)

It has been said that Roy Andersen works with deliberation and supreme confidence. With family roots in Denmark and a life long interest in American Indian art, Andersen brings to his audience an unusual international perspective on nature that reflects both his affinity for animals and his belief in artistic authenticity.

Critic Bill Dickerson says that Andersen's years of commercial illustration have sharpened his ability to envision a painting; he knows exactly what he intends to accomplish before he picks up his brush. There are no "happy accidents" in an Andersen painting. He has a knowledge of his subjects that is attained only through extensive research. According to Dickerson, "You will not find an Apache medicine bag around a Sioux warrior's neck nor a Cheyenne carrying a rifle that is a bit too modern. What you will see is accuracy, an almost uncanny sense of composition and color harmony and a strength of drawing that is remarkable."

Roy Andersen was admitted to the Cowboy Artists of America in 1989. In 1990, at the 25th Annual CAA Exhibition, Andersen's We Hunt Them won the coveted Gold Medal for Oil award. In 1991, he received the Silver Medal for Oil for his piece The Silent Blanket. In terms of subject matter, Andersen primarily focuses on Crow, Cheyenne, and Apache Indians. Roy's tendency to place figures toward the front of the picture plane within a vibrantly colored composition emphasizes the strength of the Indian spirit. In recent years he and his wife Lui resided on a horse ranch in Cave Creek, Arizona, where they raised registered Paint horses that often appear in his paintings.