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.
“I won $60 for art supplies for our school,” he said. “In 1962, that was a lot of money, and I thought, ‘Oh, people will give you money for this.’”
He launched his art career in the commercial realm, producing custom pieces for client projects. He started out doing grunt work as a paste‑up artist for printing companies, but over time he was able to work in different roles and develop his skills.
“Designers would quit, illustrators would quit, and I’d just start doing their jobs—posters, paperback covers, college catalogs. That’s how I learned all the different aspects of being a graphic artist, and got paid for it,” Anderson recalled.
Anderson became a successful science fiction illustrator for writers such as C. J. Cherryh. After collaborating on several book covers, she encouraged him to showcase his work at niche conventions, which helped him increase his professional network of editors and writers. However, his work and career shifted dramatically with the rise of ebooks.
“When ebooks came out, they didn’t need five‑by‑eight covers anymore … The whole sales technique of covers drawing people to a book just dissipated,” said Anderson, adding that this was the time he turned his focus to more familiar subjects, painting Oklahoma landscapes and landmarks.
“In 2015, I started doing hyper‑realistic art deco and other buildings I really liked,” he said. “People often confuse them for photographs when they see the paintings — that’s how fine they are — but it’s all paint on masonite board.”
Anderson’s creative works and interests have evolved in sync with technology. He uses sophisticated software to create music for his band Starcruisers on his computer. (He plays all of the parts.) He acted in an online treasure hunt series. He helped writer Brent Wheelbarger develop a storyline for the book Folk Secrets, along with providing the book illustrations. Today, Anderson is applying new technology and his latest techniques to a book he first started in the ’70s.
“I’ve been doing fantasy and science fiction work for so long, and I’ve kind of returned to it,” said Anderson. “I’ve learned how to paint a lot better. I know how to get a book published. I did book design by hand in the ’70s; now I can do it all on my computer. With music, I can do everything I used to do in a recording studio in my house. To me, that was the science fiction of my day—that I can do all of this at home. I get up every day, and I’ve got some project going on.”
