

Roy Andersen(1930-2019)Speak, Little Wise One 48 x 32in
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Roy Andersen (1930-2019)
signed 'Roy Andersen- CA' (lower left); signed again with initials 'RA' (lower right)
oil on canvas
48 x 32in
Footnotes
Exhibited
Phoenix, Phoenix Art Museum, Cowboy Artists of America 37th Annual Sale & Exhibition, October 18 - November 17, 2002.
Scottsdale, Scottsdale Museum of the West, A Salute to Cowboy Artists of America and a Patron, the late Eddie Basha: 50 Years of Amazing Contributions to the American West, November 6, 2015 – May 31, 2016.
It has been said that Roy Andersen worked with deliberation and supreme confidence. With a lifelong interest in American Indian art, his paintings reflected his affinity for animals and his belief in artistic authenticity. His primary subject matter included the Crow, Cheyenne and Apache Indians, and his knowledge of them was obtained through extensive research. Andersen's work has its own sense of composition and color harmony.
Roy Andersen's career as an illustrator spanned more than thirty years working for National Geographic, Time and Sports Illustrated. He also illustrated commemorative stamps for the U.S. Postal Service, numerous paperback novels and movie posters; two such posters were The Outlaw and Josie Wales. During his years as an illustrator, Andersen developed the discipline and capacity for hard work that was essential to those who strove for artistic success.
As an artist, Roy found a distinctive niche utilizing bold color choices and a dynamic style that continues to excite audiences today. Roy once commented, "Perhaps I see colors that others don't. I like to take chances with color because the creative process doesn't happen without risk."
Speak, Little Wise One exemplifies the respect that the artist bestows on the subject. A Kiowa owl prophet asks his screech owl to forecast the success of a horse capture party. Painted on a large canvas in a vertical format, the figure is imposing and proud. The present work is a sincere homage to the early Indian way of life.