Jeffrey T . Larson 2008 First Place in Still-Life/Floral The Artist's Magazine
The following editorial appeared in The Artist's Magazine, December, 2008, Pages 40-41
2008 Still-Life/Floral Winners November 18, 2008 award The Artist's Magazine
by Candice Russell
First Place Award: Jeffrey T. Larson, Electrolux (oil, 26x58)
Combining precise draftsmanship and painterly refinement, Jeffrey T. Larson’s Electrolux presents a circa-1950-style
vacuum cleaner with a gracefully twisted hose. The artist admired the machine’s style and craftsmanship. “It was so classic,
it was almost contemporary,” he says, so, exploiting the tension between the elegant and the functional, he situated the vacuum
on a mantel as if it were a sculpture or trophy.
A similar painting usually takes him about eight months to complete, but he finished this one in only five. “The piece seemed to paint itself,” says Larson . Still, he admits that the position of the hose proved a challenge: “I spent probably three days moving
that hose around.”
“This was a single-object still life, so I wanted to develop each aspect of every element and detail to the fullest in the finished piece—using nuances of light patterns, composition, the abstract flow of lines, and color,” he explains. “Every refinement made
it different. With a still life, I look for subtle light and nuances.”
In addition to still-lifes, the classically trained artist from Maple, Wisconsin, also paints landscapes and figures outdoors. He
has made a living solely from his art for the past 22 years, developing a large clientele in the Twin Cities area. He also sells
his work through the Eleanor Ettinger Gallery in New York City and Tree’s Place on Cape Cod.
Asked about the evolution of his art, Larson says, “I hope it’s become more personal. I sure hope it doesn't look like
anybody else’s. I’m always working on being a better draftsman and on improving every aspect of my craft. I try to paint
things that I’d like to see in a museum.”