Art Chowder September | October, Issue 17 | Page 24

and requiring a large investment of
time, it leaves me with a great sense of
accomplishment and satisfaction.
Art Chowder:  How long does it take to
create one of these detailed drawings? 
Larry: A 22” x 28” drawing will take
from four to six weeks.  A few have
even taken longer.  I try to spend eight
hours a day, four days a week on my
art.  Yet, family, friends and my faith
take precedence. 
Art Chowder: What are the instruments
of your art? What kind of pen and ink?
Larry: I use two different kinds of pens,
Le Pen and Micron. They’re a soft-tip
pen so you don’t have a lot of smear and
they dry quickly. They are pretty reliable
too. I use a variety of tips ranging from
0.5mm to 8mm, plus I use straight edge
rulers and curves, because I want to have
uniformity. However, if I’m making
loops, unusual designs, or tiny details
I’ll freehand those.
inspiration for your pictures? to earn a living from my art but not as
yet.  It takes time for any artist.  I love
to draw — to be creative and to develop
my skills.  Therefore I will continue
and see what the future brings.  In the
meantime, though I retired in 2012, I
have chosen to continue working on a
part-time basis.   Personally I don’t see how artists have
the patience to do scratchboard. They do
beautiful work, but having taken a class
in it, I know it doesn’t work for me.
Perhaps we develop patience for things
we enjoy doing. I find drawing relaxes
me. I could be drawing all day and be
relaxed, but have a car get in front of me
and slow down, well …
Larry: Almost anywhere.  I can Art Chowder: What type of work are Art Chowder:  *LOL* Yeah, I think
Art Chowder: Where do you find
be driving down the street and see
something that intrigues me.  I was
a product of the ‘50s and my wife
the ‘60s.  We’re both extremely
patriotic.  My grandfather and father
were both railroad men. When I was
a boy there weren’t any unions, so I
was able to ride in the cab of steam
engines with my dad, and a love of
trains was born! Having spent 13 years
in the Navy serving on five different
ships, they are also a big part of my
makeup. Sometimes though, my
imagination goes wild and I’ll end up
drawing anything from dinosaurs to
planets.  
Larry:  I would like to say I am able
you doing?
Larry: I work part-time at Jones
Double Reed. I’m one of four guys that
handmakes reeds for bassoons. It’s all
very detailed work.
Art Chowder: Like your art.
Larry: Yes, that’s what my boss said.
He looked at my art and said I’d be
perfect at this type of work and that I
should try it out, that I’d enjoy it. So I
did, and I love doing it.
Art Chowder: Your art really is
amazingly detailed. I wouldn’t have the
patience for it. How do you do it?
Art Chowder: So is art a full time gig Larry: That’s what a lot of people say.
for you or do you have a job outside of
creating such amazing pictures?  By nature I’m not a very patient man.
So this is amazing even to me at times.
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ART CHOWDER MAGAZINE
that’s a universal irritant. So, who are
some of your favorite artists?
Larry: Ron Kurtz of Buck Mountain
Studios, of course, and large mural
artists Daniel Lopez and Todd Benson;
Maren Wands, who does great
scratchboard; and Viola Unger who
paints with watercolors. Also, the pen
and ink artwork by both Leslie Cooley
and Phillip Franks is outstanding.
Art Chowder: Now that you are mostly
retired, if you could travel for your art
where would you go?
Larry: I’d go to Europe. Not only do
they have fabulous art and museums,
they also have the most incredible
architecture. I appreciate architecture,
and of course, I’d like to see their
railroads, which differ from ours.