Becky Holland
AMERICUS — Marie Anderson was raised in Americus, but attended the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Fla. For a number of years, she served as an advertising/fashion illustrator for such companies as Davison’s (Macy’s).
Now, at age 75, though the sweet and humbled Anderson says she is “going on 16,” she is still drawing, but doing artwork of a different outlet: dogs, cats and movie stars, but especially cats.
“When I was little, I didn’t like school. I used to doodle at my desk, and draw movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and John Wayne,” she smiled, adding that she had some drawings of Clint Eastwood hanging on the walls of the activity room of Perfect Care.
Due to what she calls “old lady problems,” Anderson isn’t able to draw and paint as much as she would like, though she does admit to “doing some sketches mostly in pencil. I love to do cats and dogs,” said Anderson. “I never married or had children, but I always had a cat,” she added.
“The art is good therapy for me, and a great stress reliever,” said Anderson, looking around the room, “especially when life and people get on my nerves. I can draw and just, well, it is like I go in another world for a while,” sad Anderson.
Anderson hopes to write a book, and in fact, has started one about life at Perfect Care . “I am going to call it ‘Living Under the Water Tower or Life Under the Water Tower,’” she said.
“It is OK here, I am happy 75 percent of the time; I just wish I had my cat here,” she said. “I have a stuffed cat, she purrs and sleeps all the time, “ laughed Anderson.
Her favorite work is of her cat, Sugar.
“I was working in Andersonville and was sitting outside, eating my lunch, when this stray cat came up. I thought I would see if she needed some food and she tasted my lunch and I said, well, she is not picky, so I said she was going to go home with me. I did a portrait of her, and it was pretty close to the real thing as I could get it,” said Anderson.
“When I moved here, my brother took my cat to his place, and he said when he let her out, she took off running back to Americus, and we have not seen her since,” she said.
Smiling, Anderson looked at the sketch of Sugar hanging on display at Perfect Care. “I did this from a picture,” she said.
Anderson’s artwork can be seen on display this month at Perfect Care residential center in Americus.
