Art Chowder September | October, Issue 17 | Page 22

Art Chowder: Why pen and ink? Larry: Initially I worked with pencil but it fell short of achieving the look I was striving for.  I knew I wanted to draw incorporating defined shades of dark and light along with multiple graphics.  I didn’t settle on a style or method that truly inspired me until I was introduced to a form of pen and ink drawing as done by local artist, Ron Kurtz. Of all the art I’d been exposed to, that was the one that most attracted me. I was captivated by his style, and have since developed my own.   Art Chowder: How were you introduced to Mr. Kurtz’ work? Larry: We were visiting some friends from church and they had just acquired one of his drawings. It was a picture of John Wayne and I said, “Who did that? I can do that!” And not really knowing for sure, I began my journey of learning how to draw with pen and ink. My first drawing was of B-17 airplanes and while in the middle of my second drawing — a train going over a trestle — I had an opportunity to go visit Ron. My wife and I drove to his home/studio and were engrossed by the complexities and beauty of his artwork. He’s got his originals all over his house. So I showed him what I was working on and he was gracious enough to critique my work. He said I should continue “for sure!”, and I could do no less after his words of encouragement. Now I have my drawings all over my house! Art Chowder: Your profile on Flootie.com says that every one of your drawings holds three important items. Please tell us about them. 22 ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE