Mark Larson

Mark Larson, a Portland, Oregon native, has been an artist his entire life.  Due to his love of nature, his early paintings developed an eager audience.  After serving in the Air Force for four years in Alaska, he went back to school at Portland State University where he finished his bachelor’s degree in painting, drawing, and print making.  Once there, he was challenged to explore his inner landscape and develop his true voice.

After graduating from college, Mark was inspired by his travels to Italy beginning in 1999 with his wife Andree, an art historian.  While there, he underwent a personal and artistic renaissance, literally overnight.  Images of nature were suddenly transformed by the juxtaposition of architecture, symbolism, and surrealism.  As a result of this evolution, Mark’s work has developed a wide following from art lovers around the globe.

Described as a "surreal genius" by The Columbian newspaper, Mark has worked to become one of America's leading contemporary painters, having shown his work nationally and internationally in galleries and museums in Italy, Switzerland, Canada, and throughout the U.S.  His paintings have won multiple best of show awards, have appeared in numerous publications, and are collected on several continents.  Public and private collections include Princess Cruise Lines, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, and many others.  Mark currently resides in Vancouver, WA.

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 14^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.