RBA Bio
Russell Burton Anderson –RB Anderson, known for dynamic portraits is from Albuquerque New Mexico. He realized his love of art at the early age of 4, painting beside his mother as she traveled across New Mexico as she followed her art career.
A fourth generation artist, RBA’s great grandmother was a poet and published under the name of Parrish, his grandmother Allison Ross was also a writer, his grandfather Burton drew cartoons, and his mother, Van Emery, is a prominent artist in New Mexico where Russell was weaned on paint that today flows through his veins.
At 6 years old an oil painting of a Church in Taos was accepted into his first adult art competition at the State Fair. This painting was stolen which to him this was a great complement, that his art was accepted – someone wanted his work enough to steal it!
Having studied art at every chance, spending many hours in art classes taught by Frank McCullough often times a the peril of other classes. By 1969 RBA had hair down the middle of his back, listened to Hendrix, Morrison, Dylan, and the Brian Wilson’s lyrics about California, had a magnetic draw. He was ready to set the world on fire. Just before his 16th birthday he left home with $10 in the pocket of his torn, self made bell-bottom blue jeans, a tee-shirt on his back and his thumb in the air – headed to California with Helen who his family believed to be his new wife. He and his girlfriend had gone to Mexico that spring and on a whim decided to get married. Long story short, they were swindled out of all their cash and ended up coming home from Mexico with a tall-story of how they were married and were going to move in together. Both sets of parents through fits with their plans, and in the heat of the moment they were on the road, with imaginations soaring.