Having grown up in a military family, Marc Hanson’s youth was spent on the move. He was born in Oxnard, California, and spent some of his early school years there. But his geographical résumé soon included Alaska, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Norway. After his father’s retirement from the Air Force, Marc’s family settled in he small northern California community of Loomis where he finished high school. Marc began college as a biology major but soon applied and was accepted into Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California majoring in illustration. After Art Center and a brief stint as a staff illustrator in Sacramento, California, Marc moved to Minnesota.

“I have pursued a career as a painter for many years now. Along the way my methods, materials and focus have evolved. A naturalist at heart, the landscape is the perfect vehicle for expressing the joy I have for the world that surrounds me. My real interest and challenge as a painter is how to best manipulate the core principles of painting into effective visual statements. I’m most successful when I’m able to communicate that joy to the viewers of my paintings.”

Marc teaches landscape painting workshops in many locations nationally. “I love working with other painters in their pursuit to better their craft. My goal is not to have them assimilate my style and technique, but to teach them how to more closely examine the subject and apply the principles that representational painters must follow to become effective visual communicators.”

Marc has shown his work in galleries and museums nationally and internationally since the early 1980s. He is a Signature Member of The Oil Painters of America (O.P.A.). Marc has garnered a number of national awards including placing four times in The Pastel Journal’s ‘Pastel 100 competition, winning an Award of Excellence at the O.P.A. National Exhibit in 2000, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. His work was selected as a Finalist in the International Artist’s Magazine’s Art Prize Challenge, 3rd Place Landscape in Pastel 100, the Pastel Award at the Society of Master Impressionist Show, and The Award for Excellence, Landscape at the Oil Painters of America’s National Exhibit. He was awarded the 2011 Bronze Medal for Painting at the OPA National Exhibition.

Artist’s Statement
I have pursued a career as a painter for many years now. Along the way my methods, materials and the subject matter of my paintings have evolved. Initially, all that I wanted to paint was birds in a very naturalistic manner. I can’t remember when I wasn’t mesmerized by birds and flight. They were a very natural subject for me and my need to express the beauty that I saw in the world no matter where I lived. The birds as subject came first and the desire to paint followed. As I grew in ability and artistic knowledge there was a role reversal. The painting became more important and the birds as subject less so. My real interest and challenge as a painter became color, value, edges and shape and how to best manipulate those core principals into effective visual statements. Still a ‘naturalist’ at heart, the landscape has become the focus of my paintings.

Selected Publications

• American Art Collector 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012
• The Artist’s Magazine 2005
• Plein Air Magazine 2005
• The Pastel Journal 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011