Art for Beauty by Larry Preston

Larry Preston (b. 1951) enjoyed a youth filled with art and music. Growing up in Massachusetts, he spent his years studying and imitating Flemish still life paintings at the Worcester Museum of Art. At the same time, Preston also developed as a musician, subsequently becoming a professional in his field.
After 25 successful years in the music business, he decided to return to his first love of the visual arts, and today works as a full-time artist.

Preston is completely self-taught, and his approach has evolved and turned over the years into his own style. Preston's paintings, whether classified as photorealism or hyperrealism, contain an exceptional level of detail and clarity.
Although paintings made in trompe-l'oeil (in French “deceive the eye”) can sometimes strive for an accurate, almost photographic, representation, his still lifes are not about formal or flat imitations. Rather, they are aimed at focusing on frequently missed details in life, up to the subtle form of light changing on a flower petal.

This painstaking approach is ideally suited for Preston's motivation for painting, which constantly draws him to the canvas - this is respect for the objects around him and the desire to carefully observe them. The artist enthusiastically talks about his favorite objects and surfaces for drawing, such as his fascination with glass and his likeness of a gem, with its endless shifts in color and transparency. He also likes to paint various textures and patins of metal and wooden surfaces.

The artist does not create his masterpieces for the sake of pompous compliments or a couple of enthusiastic exclamations. He draws for himself. And he does not regret absolutely that his work is an art for the sake of beauty. But I am always grateful to everyone, for the responses and criticism, for the feelings and emotions from ordinary people. If any of this happens as a by-product of his persecution, so be it; he is grateful for the honor.

“I draw for myself and for the process, and not for someone else,” says the artist.
“I draw to remind myself of what I consider important and beautiful, and to experience the process of drawing a selected object. For me, success - in the studio - the desire to continue to grow as an artist and create honest work. "
His works are represented in many galleries around the world.

The publication was prepared on the materials of the site fineartconnoisseur.com