Larry DeGraff
It’s not unusual to find Larry DeGraff at the end of a dirt road, brush in hand, trying to capture the light unique to that place and time. His goal, to share the beauty all around that we are too busy to see. Larry showed impressive artistic talent at a young age and developed his skills towards a career in commercial illustration. He eventually built a client list that included Warner Brothers and the Walt Disney Company. With this expertise he was offered a position as an artist with Hallmark Cards. In the midst of tight deadlines and constant revisions, Larry missed the joy of creating that he remembered from childhood and began to paint for himself. He found inspiration in the Impressionists and the Hudson River School. Along with studio work he committed to painting “en plein air” which he found both a fast track for creative growth and a good excuse to be outdoors. Besides studying at the Kansas City Art Institute, he has had the opportunity to learn from modern masters Matt Smith, Dave Santillanes, Ned Mueller and others. In 2011 Larry left Hallmark to pursue painting full time and has since won many national and regional awards for his oil landscapes. Larry and his wife Gina live in Ozark, Missouri.
AFFILIATIONS
Oil Painters of America
The American Impressionist Society
The Missouri Valley Impressionist Society
The National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society
Springfield Regional Arts Council
Studio 55 Artists Guild
Plein Air Artists Colorado
larrydegraff@gmail.com | 816-654-5856
