Written by Evie Klopp Holzer and Lavinia Creswa | Photography by Charlie Neuenschwander
Four distinct artists come to the canvas with various objectives, informed by individual values and life experiences. Taylor Clark paints in pursuit of processing complicated emotions. Her journey shapes the imagery. David Lee Anderson can’t be contained creatively. The multi-talented artist is always producing interesting pieces, both in the visual and performing arts. Leondre Lattimore has garnered national attention with high-profile collaborations and public works. His scenes often depict “people just existing,” a beautiful notion. Ashley Forrest views art as her destiny, and she has arrived. Being creative has proven to be her path to happiness and inner peace. Different perspectives and purposes, of course, result in different art – a vast variety of images, shapes, colors, stories and curiosities. We come to each one through the lens of our own life experiences; wonders abound.
Meet Fine Arts Painter, Taylor Clark
Taylor Clark’s murals and canvases reflect a collection of deep ruminations. Her art is how she processes emotions, resulting in works she describes as symbolic and “psychologically charged.”
While creating, Clark takes a spontaneous, color-driven approach, selecting vibrant hues that feel good in the moment rather than following a fixed palette. Her paintings also tend to incorporate a sense of movement, mirroring the complexity of working through the ups and downs of one’s inner thoughts.
Meet Fine Arts Painter, David Lee Anderson
David Lee Anderson is a notable painter and illustrator, but his talents span beyond the visual realm: He is also an author, an actor and a musician. His interests are as varied as the scenes captured in his paintings, from popular Oklahoma landmarks to out-of-this-world space and science fiction themes.
Anderson credits the movies Fantasia and 2001: A Space Odyssey and book The Hobbit for jump-starting his big imagination at a young age. He also remembers when his fourth-grade art teacher submitted his work into an art contest in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Much to his surprise and delight, he won.
Meet Fine Arts Painter, Leondre Lattimore
A star is rising in Oklahoma City and is being celebrated on the national stage. Leondre Lattimore has quickly been making a name for himself both as an artist and as an integral part of Oklahoma City’s public art community. Lattimore has collaborated in the Thunder Artist Group, recently participated in panels hosted by the OKMOA and Oklahoma City University and was just named on the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 Art and Style list.
“My life is a story of things just falling into place,” Lattimore said. “I don’t have a choice but to allow that to continue happening.” Like many artists, Lattimore has been drawing since childhood, though he did not explore painting until high school. Born and raised on OKC’s Eastside, Lattimore graduated from Millwood High School before attending Oklahoma City University, where he received a degree in Studio Art. Coming from his predominantly Black high school, OCU was something of a culture shock for Lattimore, even though it is just a few miles away from where he grew up. “I was actually the only Black male in the art school at one point,” Lattimore said. “I was around a lot of talented artists that inspired me, but I noticed no one was creating work that I could really relate to. I wasn’t trying to make my Blackness the center of my art, but I’m inspired by my own life experiences and Black culture. My work began to reflect my community.”
Meet Fine Arts Painter, Ashley Forrest
Ashley Forrest grew up surrounded by creativity and when asked what she wanted to be, her answer was simple: an artist.
Her introduction to art began when her mother became an interior designer when Forrest was in elementary school. Forrest learned basic color theory and design principles, and afternoons were spent driving through Oklahoma City’s historical neighborhoods discussing architectural elements of the homes. And while Forrest had loved the studio art classes she took in high school, after graduation she found herself working in various sales positions to make ends meet. “The money was good,” she said, “but it was soulless.”
