Andy Anderson - Horse - Folk Art Figure A2953

Measures 9" x 7 1/2" x 3 1/2". Super soulful, beautifully doleful.

Andy Anderson (1893-1963)

The first recognized American caricature carver, H S Andy Anderson was born in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. When he was a young teenager he moved with his family to Colorado and while growing up there, Andy carved horses, cowboys, and depictions of life. Andy wrote, "One day a cowboy rode in from Wyoming, who was the homeliest man I had ever laid eyes on. All the rest of that day I could see him in my mind and thought, 'What a good character he would make for a wood carving!' He was my first model, and this was my first attempt at carving a likeness of anyone. The figure of this old weather-beaten cowpoke turned out real good (much to my surprise) and from then on I started carving characters."

By 1927 his figure carving began to evolve as he was creating characters from the Old West. He began carving full-time and earned a respectable living through the 1930s. He eventually set-up a workshop at Southern California's venerable Knott's Berry Farm, where he could always be found carving. Andy's carvings were highly regarded and sought after by movie stars, politicians, and a broad range of collectors in addition to many museums.

Andy Anderson died near his home in Tesuque, New Mexico in 1963.