Bob Larsen is known for his detailed watercolor paintings of familiar buildings in the Concord area. Strong shadows, reflections in windows, and architectural detail are hallmarks of his work. But his style is evolving, as his newest collection shows.
“Inspirations, New Watercolors” will be on display May 31 through June 30 at McGowan Fine Art in Concord, with an opening reception June 3 from 4:30 to 7 p.m.
Experienced painters can fall into a trap, Larsen said.
“The people that like your work hold you to a certain subject matter,” he said. “It’s not easy to break out. This show is about breaking out in a much different way.”
Larsen depicts familiar buildings in new ways, explores vernal and tidal pools to experiment with creating the illusion of water depth, and ventures into black-and-white abstracts.
“United Methodist Church, Chichester” reflects the tightly controlled style for which he is known, while fluid, abstract shadows float on the clapboards in “Congregational Church, Webster.”
“This is a very different technique,” Larsen said. “I tried to mix it up a little and not be a slave to where the shadows fall. This is much looser.”
In contrast to the gauzy tones of these buildings, Larsen used vibrant reds and greens in “Vinnie’s Pizzeria, study 4.”
Larsen’s earlier paintings of vernal pools were abstract, but the new ones are more detailed, achieving a sense of depth, as if one could reach right down into the water.
Painting “Spring Thaw” was complicated, he said.
“I threw everything I know about water color into this,” he said. “The snow is melting back, exposing leaves. You’re looking down into a vernal pool with the leaves floating on the surface, then you’re looking down into the water.”
In a series of images of a beech tree in Winant Park, gnarled roots reach into the clear water that is darkened by the decaying vegetation below.
Serene or ominous? The viewer can decide.
Larsen’s tidal pool paintings invite one to dip in and pick up a shell. Turquoise water flows over periwinkle mussel shells, and again the sense of depth is evoked, this time by a white shell poking above the surface of the water.
Larsen’s most dramatic style shift is his series of black and white abstracts of tidal pools. Only two are in the show. Before reading the text labels, decide for yourself what you’re looking at – it’s more fun that way.
“I’m fascinated by black and white,” Larsen said. “I don’t know how people will respond to this. I wanted to put it in just to say, ‘This is something else I do.’ ”
Larsen had no formal art training but said that he comes from “a family of doodlers.” He started in the 1980s with two children’s books, illustrated in pastels, for his son and daughter.
His interest in painting grew, and he began donating pieces to charitable auctions. People liked the work and started asking him to do paintings of their houses.
“At some point you catch the attention of a gallery,” he said.
He continued to paint during his career as a lawyer at Sulloway & Hollis Law Firm and was in charge of the art acquisition and exhibition program there. His work has been featured in numerous art exhibitions and on the covers of the New Hampshire Bar Journal.
But with a full-time job, there was only so much time for painting.
“You reach a point with your art,” he said, “where you’re going to switch from hobbyist to painter. I did that by retiring.”
For someone who’s artistic, he said, it’s always something to keep your hand in. You’ll come back to it.
Larsen has some advice for people who want to turn a hobby into something more.
First, he said, you have to have the time to devote to it, and be serious about it.
Second, lots of people aspire to get better at their painting, he said, but what holds them back is that they’re not honest about where they are.
“If they were honest, they’d give themselves a C minus. If you really want to progress, you have to say, ‘I mastered this part of it, but there’s a lot more that I can do.’ ”
You can take classes or study artists; whatever you choose, just do it, he said.
“Push yourself into things that are not easy,” he said. “Then you’ll realize that what you’ve been doing isn’t adequate to accomplish the result you want. You have to figure out new techniques. It’s a process.”
This exhibit will be on display at McGowan Fine Art, 10 Hills Ave., Concord. Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or by appointment.
Call Sarah Chaffee at 225-2515 for more information or visit mcgowanfineart.com.