It feels like your captured right in the middle of nature when you walk into the exhibit of One World, Two Artists located at the University of Mississippi Museum in Oxford, Miss. The exhibit is organized by the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, La. The art gallery is filled with numerous paintings by John Alexander and Walter Anderson.

The paintings of the exhibit attempt to reflect the inspiration the two artists shared in Southern culture and nature varying from animals, plants, and bodies of water. These paintings display the life of animals in nature and show the self-expression of the artists and the emotions in time.

“The first poetry is written against the wind by sailors and farmers who sing with the wind in their teeth. The second poetry is written by scholars and students and wine drinkers who have learned to know a good thing. The third poetry is sometimes never written but when it is, it’s by those who have brought nature and art together in one thing.” Walter Anderson quoted those words and it expressed Anderson’s passion in his art.

Walter Anderson was born in New Orleans, La. He was a talented poet writer, painter and studied nature. Anderson’s inspiration for his art work was from the South. Anderson started painting in the 30’s; a couple of examples from his early work are the paintings of the White Throat Sparrow and the Chimney Swift both drawn in 1934.

Although Anderson was born in Louisiana, his family had a shearwater pottery business in Ocean Springs, Miss., revealing more to him of the Southern life. His main inspiration of his work came from a visit he took to Horn Island. Anderson did most of his drawings mainly in water color and did others by pencil sketching.

John Alexander shared similar inspirations as Anderson and was also inspired by Anderson. Alexander followed Anderson by going to Horn Island as well, to capture the visuals of the island.

However, Alexander’s paintings of the beauty in animals in nature were drawn by charcoal. Alexander grew up in Louisiana like Anderson and was inspired by the Texas and Louisiana culture. His paintings are very realistic and detailed. Alexander is now in his 60’s and his artwork is still being showcased.

The name of the exhibit, One World, Two Artists mirrors the areas and nature that connected Anderson and Alexander. The works from the artists have similar characteristics and inspirations but are all unique. It is seen through the work of the artists that the Gulf Coast was the main inspiration for the two painters.

The exhibit started on August 23 and will run until December 3 and the opening reception begins September 22 at 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. The University of Mississippi Museum opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. and is opened Tuesday through Saturday.

For more information about the exhibit, visit http://museum.olemiss.edu/category/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/ or call 662-915-7073.