Asheville artist Andy Buchanan recently relocated to Asheville to further build his career, recognizing it as the perfect place to grow as an artist. Originally from McKinney, Texas, (outside of Dallas), his work reflects a deep connection to nature. Born in 1981, Buchanan spent much of his childhood outdoors, camping, hiking, and photographing landscapes—experiences that heavily shaped his artistic approach. He began exploring art through after-school classes in painting, drawing, and sculpture, developing a sharp eye for detail and an appreciation for the dedication required to refine his craft. He began with after-school painting, drawing, and sculpture classes, developing a keen eye for details and a mature understanding of the dedicated hours needed to hone his craft.
Andy Buchanan is a renowned artist based in Asheville. He is known for his unique and captivating artwork that combines various mediums and styles. Buchanan’s work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and art shows, both locally and internationally. His artistic style is characterized by vibrant colors, intricate details, and a strong sense of storytelling. Buchanan’s art often explores themes of nature, spirituality, and the human experience. His ability to evoke emotions and provoke thought through his artwork has made him a beloved figure in the art community. Whether you are an art enthusiast or simply appreciate visually stunning creations, exploring the works of Andy Buchanan is sure to be a captivating experience.
Professionally, Buchanan’s career commenced in the commercial art sector, where he designed and painted murals and sculpted large-scale adornments for museums, restaurants, and private clients across the United States and the Caribbean. This experience honed his skills in various mediums, though he expresses a particular affinity for oil painting.
Many collectors and art enthusiasts are drawn to the unique style of Asheville artist Andy Buchanan. He states, “Oils, while they’re not the only medium I have experience in, are my favorite due to the strong range of effects, both subtle and intense, and the beautiful results they are capable of producing.”
Buchanan’s artistic philosophy embraces improvisation and imagination, allowing his work to traverse genres from vibrant to subtle, heartwarming to ominous. He emphasizes the importance of learning from nature and exploring modern and ancient techniques, aiming for his talents to evolve throughout his life.
Buchanan operates out of NorthLight Studios in Asheville’s River Arts District, where he continues to create and exhibit his work. His portfolio includes a diverse range of pieces, such as “The Anomalous Nimbus” (2024), an oil on canvas measuring 48″ x 48″, and “Yin Yang in the Old West” (2024), a charcoal pencil drawing on pastel paper.
Through his dynamic and evolving body of work, Buchanan offers viewers a unique lens into the interplay between imagination and the natural world, solidifying his presence in Asheville’s contemporary art scene. As an Asheville artist, Andy Buchanan continues to push the boundaries of creativity through his nature-inspired works.
Asheville Artist Andy Buchanan
RRM: What motivated your shift from commercial art and large-scale murals to concentrating on fine art? How has this particular background in style and size influenced your approach to fine art?
Andy Buchanan: I don’t know if shifted is the correct word. I’m still open to painting murals and love designing and painting them. They’re just not as frequent as, say, fine art commissions and selling reproductions currently, but I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to taking on more murals.
I’ve always liked designing for and painting on a large scale. I would say that any influence my mural experience has had on my smaller fine art paintings and drawings would be most noticeable in the broad range of genres and techniques I have come to utilize.
RRM: You have mentioned that improvisation plays a crucial role in your art. Where does improvisation come about, while you are thinking or planning a new painting or while you are painting? And does this pertain to all your work, landscapes, abstract, and still life?
AB: My process for a number of paintings and drawings is very often a result of being inspired by shapes and their relation and distance from each other, shadows and light, depth, stories or emotions, and also how certain colors interact with one another to help create a certain feeling or vibe.
If I look at a blank canvas and am having some artist’s block, I will sometimes just throw down a squiggly line or two randomly, and then that oftentimes reminds me of an object or a story, and I go from there with the improvising. There are also times when, halfway through a painting, I get pulled in another creative direction because something triggers a new inspiration, completely changing my first course, and I just let the new flow-state pull me to where it wants me to go instead.
RRM: You relocated to Asheville from McKinney, TX, in October 2024, planning to move into your NorthLight Studios space on January 1. However, Hurricane Helene sped-up the transition, and you ultimately moved in at the beginning of November. As the River Arts District rebuilds itself after the storm’s devastation, how do you see your work contributing to or evolving within this still-dynamic art scene? Additionally, what direction do you envision your work taking in 2025?
AB: It has definitely been bittersweet. I am extremely thankful and feel very lucky that I was still able to land in a studio space amongst this amazing community, considering the uncertainty that came along with Helene’s aftermath.
I have noticed that traffic is much lower recently in the River Arts District compared to some of my previous visits to the area before the hurricane, but I am starting to see that those numbers are starting to grow more and more. I feel like the crowds will start returning in bigger numbers than ever now that word has gotten out that the RAD is open and ready for sales. My hope is that my artwork successfully adds to the diversity of artwork here, stands out as something new, eye-catching, and provocative, and adds to the talents of the rest of the fantastic artists in the region.
Just being surrounded by these amazing people, the mountains, and the waterfalls in this gorgeous region has been a kickstart to my imagination recently, and I’m inspired to create like never before. I feel like the future is bright here, with the potential for greatness just boiling over. The energy around NorthLight Studios and the other remaining studios in the River Arts District is pulsing hard, set to make big moves and come back stronger than ever before. Helene was a very bad setback, but I think the outpouring of hope and love and the driven hearts of the artists here will rise above the piles of rubble and take the RAD to new heights of success and creativity.
I see my work thriving here. I’m ready for great things, great connections, and great experiences, and I look forward to helping put an end to blank and boring walls.
Through his work, Asheville artist Andy Buchanan continues to captivate audiences with his bold creativity and deep connection to nature.