The effect of light on a subject and the resulting shadows and colors are a continual source of inspiration to me. Even on our most cloudy days there is color to be seen. There are many shades of grey.
Although there are many subjects in my work, landscapes and still lifes are my favorites. Painting a landscape can be like designing a garden: move that tree a little to the right, give it more branches, or make it taller. The options are endless. That is true of every aspect of a landscape painting - I'm not trying to improve on nature but make the design a little better. It's one way to clean up a river or get the debris out of the park.
I'm not trying to make a statement with my art. I paint what I enjoy and hope others enjoy it too.
Biography
A serious childhood illness meant Lois Larson was not as active as most children.
As a result she has drawn and painted since she was 5 years old. At that time her family lived in a California mining camp and her first watercolor paper was ordered from the Montgomery Ward catalog,
Her one-room grade school had art class on Friday afternoon. During her high school years in Klamath Falls, Oregon, she took after-school art classes with a local artist. While in college and nursing school she had little time for art but most of her letters home went in decorated envelopes.
Raising children, work and oil painting didn't mesh very well so one year her husband gave her a set of acrylic paints for Christmas. That didn't work too well either.
An opportunity to sign up for watercolor classes came when she visited the Buffalo Grass and Crafty Arts Society's annual tennis court sale at the University of Oregon Medical School. .
A love of trains started Larson’s interest in mechanical subjects. Railroad museums, freight yards and storage yards provided a wealth of subject materiel. From trains it was an easy step to other mechanical equipment. Several of these paintings were included in juried shows and have been award winners. In addition, Larson enjoys still life arrangements which include pieces of antique glassware from her collection.
Landscapes are often a choice of subject matter. Recently she has been focusing on landscapes featuring rivers and streams. Larson rarely paints flowers - not because she doesn't like them but because others in her area do them so well.
Larson has had opportunity to study with local as well as nationally known workshop leaders. She is a member of the Watercolor Society of Oregon (WSO), Oregon Society of Artists (OSA), SPLASH professional artists group and a signature member of both the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS) and Western Colorado Watercolor Society (WCWS).
Larson's work may be seen at the Rental Sales Gallery of the Portland Art Museum, Gallery 21 in Vancouver, Washington.
