Meet the Artist: Larry Moore

1/17/2020



"No great artist ever sees things as they really are. If he did, he would cease to be an artist.”

- Oscar Wilde


Gallery_Wild_Larry_Moore_Artist


For Larry Moore, inspiration is sought, found and generated everywhere. His creativity and passions have led him beyond paints as an artist of many mediums, a published writer, teacher and life long student. 



“I’ve learned over the years that inspiration and ideas can come from anywhere: the patterns in nature, behavior in humans, fabric stores, antique malls, abandoned buildings. Creativity is an amalgam, a compound made of two or more very different things.”



Growing up in Florida during the 60’s & 70’s on a river just two blocks from the ocean, Larry was immersed in wildlife and wild places. Any spare moment he had was spent observing, exploring and being in the wild waters and land around him. Being surrounded by islands, seabirds, fish, crazy storms and the relentless sea, which is where he spent most of his time, was impactful to say the least. His appreciation and desire to protect wild spaces was also demonstrated by his father who was the mayor of their small town. Using his leverage as the mayor, he got the state to acquire the “thousand islands” that ran behind their house as a natural preserve, keeping it free from development.

 


Published in 2017, Larry’s book explains the creative processes of art and life with a conversational, humorous, and informative voice. It’s not a how to paint something to look like something book. It’s a how to think for yourself, move forward, get out of your comfort zone, get out of your own way, define your voice, refine your voice, focus on those characteristics of creating that are authentic to you and try new directions kind of book.


Gallery_Wild_Larry_Moore_Artist_Painting_Michael

Michael | Oil | 36x48"


Larry's work is very much about conservation and environmental awareness and one of the many reasons he is a part of Gallery Wild.



“My series, Intrusion, animals in human spaces, speaks to the idea of a species being where they don’t really belong, and it’s usually us.”



Thought provoking and incredibly visually captivating, the pieces in Larry's Intrusion series are fun, yet aim for a much deeper meaning. As humans increase in numbers and space that we take up, many species can be found on the fringes or even coexisting within human landscapes. The question of “who's invading who?” is being asked more as coyotes roam some of the biggest cities, mountain lions can be found in the suburbs, raccoons adapt to using drainage systems to travel from point A to B and abandoned or ruined structures are reclaimed by any species willing to venture in. Depending on how you look at it, who between humans and wildlife has the “right” to be there? Coexistence is, to many, still a novel concept and Larry's work can lead the mind into a much deeper exploration of human relation and understanding of wild, or lack thereof. 


New In Town | Oil | 36x36"


Despite his fondness of Richard Diebenkorn's quote, “There is freedom in the limitations”, meaning that too many choices confuses the process, Larry has worked extensively in every medium- except egg tempera and scrimshaw. He has spent his lifetime as an artist. Formally trained in graphic design and a self taught painter, he spent 25 years in advertising and design, 30 years honing his skills as an illustrator and 15 years on the plein air circuit. A previous mural artist and college art instructor, Larry is now a highly sought after instructor of workshops and very successful fine art painter.


With a life spent in the arts, Larry has collected a lot of awards. But of them all, the one that was his loftiest goal and of which he is most proud is the gold medal at the Society of Illustrators in New York, which he received in 2005. A huge accomplishment, well earned.

 

Staying connected to his passion for wildlife that started as a kid and has carried through his career as an artist, Larry contributes as much as he can afford to organizations benefitting the well being of animals, the environment- World Wildlife Fund, SPCA, Humane Society, Surfrider Foundation, you name it, he's contributed.


Larry's artistic process


“I start each painting with the idea of doing something I haven’t done before. A different way to start, different tools, new variations and twists on the theme. I try very hard not to repeat myself.” 



A big part of Larry's process is the act of discovery, trying new things just to see what happens, making a mess to see if he can figure out how to control it. He may start with gouache sketches based on a very specific theme, like rising seas, relationships or anxiety. Or he may have a flash of a vision and launch strait into a big piece without preliminary sketches.


Gallery_Wild_Larry_Moore_Artist_Working_Painting


Sometimes I start with the space and then ask what animal absolutely doesn’t belong there, sometimes it’s the other way around. I go back and forth between starting with a line drawing or a shape based block in.”



On more than a few occasions Larry has created pieces based on dreams, human condition or personal stories that are represented through allegory. One of the perks of having been an illustrator is that he knows how to make ideas happen, he isn't tied to one process.


Gallery_Wild_Larry_Moore_Artist_Painting_Bay_Of_Pig

Bay of Pig | Oil | 24x24"

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