| Walter met and
married Radcliff graduate, Agnes Grinstead, who had been born at
Oilfields, her parent's antebellum home and pecan plantation in
neighboring Gautier. It was at Oilfields in the years 1940 to
1943 that the calendar drawings, along with other larger works,
were produced. These are pleasant reflections of a peaceful
time. His wife and young children, farm animals and activities,
plants, wildlife, sailing, seashore, and beloved birds make
their way into these delightful design studies mixed with
elements from other cultures, literature, and fantasy.
After returning to Ocean Springs in 1947,
Anderson spent most of his time living apart in a cottage on the
family property or in solitary sojourns to Horn Island where he
produced the magnificent watercolors which are the culmination
of his emersion in art and nature. Alone on Horn Island he
experienced a different face of nature when he weathered the
fringes of Hurricane Betsy, in 1965, he died in New Orleans of
post-operative complications. Working until the very last days
of his life, he produced major murals, watercolors, oils, ink
drawings, block prints, illustrations, furniture, pottery,
poetry and journals - the natural beauty of the Mississippi
Coast absorbed and given back in a priceless legacy. |
