He stated that as a teenager he would spend hours drawing boats and building models and that he was fascinated by the rhythmic qualities of their soft, curved lines.

[2] Anderson was also particularly fascinated by antiques displayed during his youth in the shops of his hometown, where he noticed the, Hand-dipped candles, hand-loomed woven items, pewter, pottery, hand-crafted furniture, and many other crafted products [that] all influenced my sense of form...

'[3] As a young man, he began his studies at the nearby Plymouth Pottery (where he worked c. 1937–40) after years of odd jobs, where it quickly became clear to his employers that he had a talent for hand craftsmanship.

In February 1941 he joined his professor, Charles Harder (1899 - 1959), and a select group of other students on a trip to visit (and learn from) southern potteries located in Erwin, Tennessee.

[2] It was during this period that he designed and built an African style mask composed entirely of scrap parts, including hooks, springs and pieces of brass.

The mask was entered into the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 1945/46 exhibition and design competition for Army personnel in the "Inventive Use of Improvised Materials" section, where it was awarded 2nd prize.

In addition, during his residency in New Jersey Anderson took evening classes at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, studying with the painters Morris Blackburn (1902 - 1979) and Oliver Grimley (b.

[10] Developing new designs at Blenko during Anderson's tenure was a multi-step process, which begin first with a cross section drawing or the creation of a pottery form.

Following this, a wooden form would be made and Anderson would work closely with glass blowers and finishers deciding if the shape and size were correct, or if they needed improvement.

This included the design in 1949 of a new, brightly colored and modern looking billboard that featured his new glass forms and shapes and which invited viewers to come to see them in person at Blenko's showroom.

[12] In 1950 Anderson returned again to Alfred University to study with the noted British Potter, Bernard Leach (1887 - 1979), whose simple and utilitarian style greatly influenced modern design in North America during the 1950s and 1960s.

After seven years at Blenko, Anderson decided to make a move to a more prestigious position at Lenox China and Crystal, located in Trenton, New Jersey, where he became design director of the firm in 1953.

[10] During his quarter century in New Jersey Anderson found time to share his talents with others, including teaching ceramics in the early 1950s at the short lived, Princeton Group Arts.

[16] During the late 1960s/early 1970s when civil rights ordinances were under threat across the United States, Anderson became particularly annoyed by the actions of the conservative activist, Anita Bryant.

As an artistic statement done partially in response to Bryant's anti-gay efforts, he created a sculptural protest piece entitled "The Gay Tray" (1970).

[18] In 1949 Anderson, along with other colleagues who had studied at Alfred University, were included in the major 'For Modern Living' exhibition which was held at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

He spoke at AGO (American Guild of Organists) meetings and was the proud owner of a virginal designed and built by Arnold Dolmetsch (1858-1940), one of the leading figures in the revival of early music during the 20th century.

[25] One of the Anderson's lasting contributions to our shared cultural heritage is the extensive collection of Haitian paintings and sculptures he assembled over a forty-year period.

He was first introduced to the work of Haitian artist while visiting a friend who had a coffee table book on the subject written by the author, Selden Rodman.

Anderson stated that upon seeing the book he was "electrified by the illustrations" and his friend, who worked in the Bureau of Cultural Relations for the Caribbean and South America, wrote a letter of introduction for him to DeWitt Peters, the founder of Le Centre d'Art in Port-au-Prince.