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Happy Hour, Bar 49, o/c, 30x30 in., 76x76 cm.
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Biography

Dean Larson

Dean Larson was raised in Palmer, Alaska where he first learned painting under the mentorship of Fred Machetanz. After Undergraduate studies at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, Dean moved to Baltimore, Maryland to attend Art School full time at the Schuler's School of Fine Art and Towson University. In 1997 he moved to San Francisco, CA. He has long been associated with the resurgence of American Contemporary Realism.
Dean has written books, been featured in numerous art periodicals, has mounted over twenty solo exhibitions, and has been featured in over fifty group shows in museums and galleries across the U. S. Dean is a well traveled artist who thrives on diversity and constantly is searching for new subjects. He is adept with cityscapes, landscapes, portraits, and interiors. Through the use of compelling compositions and harmonious color he draws the viewer into his canvases. Dean's commissioned portraits and studio paintings can be found in museums and other public collections in the United States and Europe. Larson teaches (mainly cityscape and landscape) at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He maintains a studio near Mission Dolores, the original Spanish Mission. Larson has painted the portraits of Senator Ted Stevens which hangs in the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. Also in Washington, Dean's work is included in the collections of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. For more information visit www.facebook.com/deanmlarson, or www.instagram.com/deanlarson07
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Artist Statement
The paintings I create flow from a search and exploration of the world around us. They are the subjects that connect with and visually excites my eye. Shapes, values, colors, and movement are combined with contemporary subjects to emphasize captivating compositions and enhance the range of effects of light juxtaposed against mysterious, transparent shadows. Studies generally begin with the center of interest and then work outward. The work has a restless, experimental nature that often defies categorization. The play of light and how it reveals itself is often the most important aspect of the subject. My process also emphasizes variety, unequal distribution of shapes, looser edges, and often uses water and reflections. There is a range of different idioms and cannot be tagged as one thing or another.