Gary Ferd Sanders was born in Huzzah, Missouri, in the rural Ozark Mountains.  At the age of 5 he began painting and has done so ever since.  Growing up against the Ozark hills and the crystal clear waters of the Huzzah Creek, Sanders was influenced by the ever changing beauty of the natural countryside, the subject of many of his paintings.  After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Southwest Missouri State College, he attended graduate art studies at Northern Arizona University and the Chicago Art Institute.
 
He has traveled throughout Central and North America, Asia and Europe spending many hours studying painting techniques in some of the finest museums in the world.  Much of his painting philosophy is derived from his study of Zen Buddhism and the influences of Japanese culture on the West.  Sanders believes that paint has a nature of its own, much like glazes on Japanese raku pottery. Therefore, he exercises minimal control of the paint to achieve the effect desired.
 
The Studio is located in a rustic setting along the Ozark creek which has been his home most of his life.  Although he has occasionally traveled to complete commissions, most of his work is created at Sanders End in Huzzah, the 170 year old estate of seven generations of Sanders.  
 
Solo Shows include the Ronald Reagan Center in Washington DC, the Greenbrier in West Virginia and Peaceful Bend Winery and Chesterfield Arts in Missouri.  His paintings are in collections throughout the U.S. as well as Canada, Europe and Africa.