“Summer Things” 

 

Joe Larson’s paintings capture the feeling of the season through colorful images drawn from nature, transforming familiar flowers, birds and butterflies into vibrant, sacred moments. Larson feels inspired by these glimpses of beauty from his garden, and nearby lakes and fields.

“Summer is such a fleeting season here in Minnesota,” says Larson, “It’s fun to have artwork that captures the feeling of summer things to enjoy throughout the year.”

His impressionistic style inspired a friend to suggest that Larson call himself “Van Joe,” which he felt was fitting, as Vincent Van Gogh has always been one of his favorite painters.

 
Larson has created art throughout his life, minoring in art at Gustavus Adolphus College and going on to create large hanging murals and mosaics for churches and nonprofit organizations. During the pandemic, Larson set a personal goal to make one painting per week, “as a creative way to deal with the stress of that year.” Since then, he has completed 150 paintings, which is the most artwork he has created during any time in his life.

 
Larson’s acrylic paintings begin with a black gessoed surface, a technique that can turn black areas of each painting into dark borders and unusual shapes, alongside the vivid colors he chooses.

 
“I experiment with alternating transparent and thick layers of acrylic paint, focusing on the play of light and shadows,” he adds. He especially likes irises, “because of the unusual shapes of their blooms — with interesting negative spaces around them.”

But Larson hopes that viewers will look beyond the contrasting colors, brushstrokes and shapes of each painting to see the deeper meaning. 

“For me, a painting of a flower is much more than that — it is meant to convey a mood or feeling,” he says, adding, “For me, creating art offers a chance to unwind and engage with my creative self. In my eyes as a retired pastor and spiritual person, art has the potential to reveal the sacred beauty and spirituality hidden in the mundane — with a celestial light that transforms ordinary things like flowers and vases and boats into mystical visions. It transports us beyond ourselves through the symbols of everyday life.”

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Joe Larson’s work will be in the Vine Arts Member Gallery June 7 through July 5. The opening for the show is June 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.