Finding meaning through sharing the creative journey
Lea Denise Anderson
Mixed media artist
Lea Denise Anderson is a mixed-media artist who believes that art is an adventure. Lea has been an artist all of her life, and she’s never doubted her ability to create. In her heart, she knows that first and foremost she is an artist, and in true artistic spirit, she enjoys her life as a series of experiments with something new. Through the process of making art, Lea is able to push through boundaries and to fulfill her need for exploration.
In a childlike way, Lea is playful with her surroundings; she’s constantly curious about how things work and about the relationships between living things. Like a true artist, Lea is constantly mulling over how to create a reaction.
Lea works in mixed media because of the endless possibility it affords. With degrees in ceramics, painting and print-making, she is open to change in elements and materials to keep her work fresh and exciting.
“Creating something that did not exist is amazing. It’s a powerful feeling.”
While pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree at UNM, Lea discovered her pleasure in teaching art classes, and she found the exchange of knowledge enriching and rewarding.
Though her artwork and teaching, Lea has found what she really loves in life. She loves to watch people discover things about themselves through creating art. Lea is a naturally curious person who studies her students’ quirks and interests, then works to help them explore and free their creativity. Lea has a knack for influencing her students to take their work further.
“I feel like teaching is something I was actually meant to do.”
Lea currently teaches The Art of Mixing Colors, which teaches color theory and painting, and Anything Goes — Open Studio, a class for students to create art in whatever media they choose. When an art class ends, many students stop using a given medium or making art at all, even after enjoying it very much during the class!
Lea's inspired solution for this was to create a new class -- an open studio environment for art students, where they can get feedback and support for pursuing their artwork. Students in the class take the chance to work on anything they want while enjoying artistic instruction at the same time. Lea can help her students come up with ideas, and teaches them strategies for the creative process from her experience as an artist.
Lea has been sharing her own excitement and fulfillment in art with UNM Continuing Education students since 2005. She is an artist who found meaning through sharing the joy of creativity. She encourages her students on their own journey, sharing her discovery that the artistic process parallels traveling: “You can discover so much along the way.”
Lea's current classes may include:
| Arts |
| Anything Goes - Open Studio |
| The Art of Mixing Colors: An Introduction to Painting |
Note: Titles above link to our online registration site, which does not post courses after they are held. Course lists are updated at the beginning of the semester. Depending on when you click a title on the list above, some items may have already passed. You may always refer to the course index or to the printed course catalog for course information.
Teach a class with us
Have you spent a lifetime of learning on a favorite subject? Is there something you can do that nobody else can do? You can teach a class with UNM Continuing Education!
Turn in a course proposal. (PDF file to download, instructions on the file.)
(If you need Adobe Acrobat Reader so you can see and print PDF's, click here to download it for free.)
Contact
For information call 277-6320 or email ddel@unm.edu
