McHenry County College is thrilled to host Eric Larson’s solo exhibition, Backroads.

February 24 – March 28, 2025
McHenry County College | Epping Gallery
8900 U.S. Highway 14, Crystal Lake, IL 60012

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ARTIST STATEMENT
We are fortunate to live in a time and place where beauty surrounds us in everyday life; sometimes, it just takes someone to point it out. With my paintings, I try to uncover those overlooked vignettes. I love depicting small-town life and rural America, finding inspiration in the changing seasons. Many of my works feature country roads, old farm buildings, and backstreet alleys, capturing the interplay of sunlight and shadow on frame houses and weathered barns.

I’m particularly fascinated by light bouncing off reflective surfaces, like glass or vintage cars, and the challenge of capturing the colors in those reflections. My phone is filled with photos waiting to become future paintings, and I often stop abruptly to capture the perfect balance of sun and shadow. I begin each painting by mapping out shadow patterns, then fill in the sunlit areas. Everything else gets placed in between those two values. A successful painting for me is when the sunlight is interesting only because of the shadows nearby.

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BIO
Eric Larson is an accomplished oil painter whose artistic journey transformed after attending the Door County Plein Air Festival in 2013. “A kind of alchemy occurred,” Larson recalls, “as the artists transformed commonplace scenes into beautiful paintings much more interesting than the actual subject matter.” Growing up in a suburban family outside Chicago, Larson developed a passion for art in high school, where he was inspired by a dedicated teacher. During a career in Information Technology, he reignited his love for painting through small daily practices, influenced by artist Carol Marine. Now residing in Woodstock, IL, Larson draws inspiration from the rural landscapes and historic buildings of small towns, aiming to capture their unique character and the magic of everyday life in his work.

Larson has received numerous accolades, including an Honorable Mention at the Art of the Land Show in 2024, Best of Show at the Light on the Easel National Juried Show in 2024, and the Alden Bryan Award for Traditional Painting in Oil through the Copley Society, Boston in 2023. With collectors spanning 20 states and five countries, he is represented by Milward Farrell Gallery in Madison, WI, and Rice Gallery of Fine Art in Overland Park, KS, among others. For more information about Larson, visit www.ericlarsonart.com and his Instagram page @ericlarsonart.

IMAGE CREDIT: Eric Larson, Food & Liquor, 2023, Oil

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Tags: Backroads, Crystal Lake, Door County, Eric Larson, McHenry County, McHenry County College, Woodstock