Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted contemporary landscape painter in this “One to Watch” artist spotlight.
Born into a family of painters, Brock Larson (b. 1991) was already ahead of the game in his classical training by the time he decided on a career path. He began drawing at an early age under the guidance of both his father, Jeffrey T. Larson, and his grandfather Marvin Espe, then was introduced in high school to the lithographic plates of Charles Bargue, master copies, and cast drawings. With that traditional foundation under his belt, Larson moved to Minneapolis to pursue formal training at the Atelier Studio Program of Fine Arts, where he studied full-time for five years while also taking workshops.
Although his education involved a lot of figure study, ultimately Larson found his way to landscape painting, as he was already an avid outdoorsman who loved observing nature. Participating in plein air events around the country, he regularly wins major awards for paintings that simultaneously capture nature’s delicate nuances and sublime grandeur.
One of those works, Pigeon River, earned the grand prize at the 2022 edition of Minnesota’s Plein Air Grand Marais. “I spent some time at Pigeon River on the Canadian border and had to dodge some inclement weather to complete this piece,” Larson says. “I find the challenge of a muted scene exciting and rewarding when it’s executed well. The dulled colors in the landscape are much less obvious, so they must be reached for and searched out with deep intentionality.”
Some of the artist’s other favorite aspects of painting on location are the challenge of finding beauty and visual intrigue in seemingly mundane subjects; working on the same scene over several sessions to watch it evolve and become a composite of his various visual experiences; and capturing fleeting light, which requires extreme focus, speed, and quick decision-making. “I absolutely love the rawness and loose qualities that can emerge from a rapid and frantic painting session en plein air,” Larson says.
Although he spends most of his time painting outdoors, Larson regularly draws and paints portraits. In his hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, he teaches at the Great Lakes Academy of Fine Art, which he co-founded with his father. They spent two years researching and designing its curriculum before renovating a former Catholic church into an ideal setting for students. Today the school offers a full-time program, as well as workshops. Larson lives in Northern Wisconsin, near Lake Superior, with his wife and two young children.
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