Artists to Watch | Larry DeGraff - Southwest Art Magazine

Everyday best

Larry DeGraff, The Finale, oil, 10 x 20.

About a decade ago, Larry DeGraff closed his computer for the last time as an illustrator at Hallmark Cards and picked up his paintbrush to pursue a full-time career as a fine artist. He embarked on this path with plenty of applicable experience and skills from his illustration and design career, as well as from his training at the Kansas City Art Institute and the painting practice he had been pursuing in his spare time.

: Larry DeGraff, First Light, oil, 14 x 18.

: Larry DeGraff, Jewel of the Niangua, oil, 12 x 12.

: Larry DeGraff, Connected, oil, 14 x 18.

DeGraff turned to the landscape as a natural choice for his subject matter, as he had grown up in the heartland and is an avid hiker and explorer of the outdoors. He enjoyed painting the American landscape en plein air for many years, from the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks and the Flint Hills of Kansas to the Colorado Rocky Mountains. He eventually expanded his repertoire to also include architecture, still life, figures, and wildlife.

The painting ENTANGLED brings together the artist’s love of rugged landscapes and structures. “I was scouting painting locations along a river, hoping to find a picturesque stream, when I came upon this overgrown structure on the side of the road,” DeGraff explains. “It reminded me of my Gramma’s shed filled with rusty tools, bear traps, and other sharp things kids shouldn’t play with. I took a few photos and, once back in the studio, the painting felt inspired from the start. It went on to receive some significant awards as well.”

Larry DeGraff, Entangled, oil, 10 x 20.

Although DeGraff has won several awards in festivals and competitions, he says his most satisfying achievement of late is earning signature status with the National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society. “That recognition for years of effort means so much more to me than any one award,” he admits. Another rewarding aspect of his fine-art career is having the freedom and flexibility to set his own schedule and goals. “I remember an annual yes/no employee survey from a former job, and the question I dreaded most was, ‘I get to do what I do best every day,’” DeGraff recalls. “Maybe it was an unrealistic expectation for someone sitting in a cubicle, but today I can finally answer that question, ‘Yes!’” –Allison Malafronte