One of Anderson's passions is painting, and he uses his art as another channel for his creativity and self-expression. His artwork is available to view on his official website. He lived in France with Jennifer Baker at a farm in Saint-Paul-de-Vence for over five years from the late 1970s, became a friend of his nearest neighbours, the painters Marc Chagall and , (inspiring some of his songs and musical themes). In 1990 he returned in France to record demos between "Le Domaine de Miraval" still in Provence at Le Val and Paris, this time with ABWH for the perspective of an hypothetical second album.