About Lary McKee
Lawrence Raymond McKee,
Painter
Born February 12, 1944
Pasadena, California
 I
was supposed to follow my father's footsteps and become an airline pilot.
But, Instead I am doing what I really love, and express this with
my art soaring from my very soul. Traveling with my parents throughout
Europe, I experienced early in life, cultures rich with artistic expression.
Though I do not consider myself especially artistic, my teachers recognized
my abilities and encouraged me to take art classes. At age 16, a teacher
entered one of my works in a competition that included 11 other southern
California high schools. I won first place and a scholarship to one of
the most prestigious art schools at that time. I also won the first prize
at a similar competition the following year, a three-year scholarship
to Chaunard Art University.
I began an apprenticeship program with Broadway
Florist in San Marino, California, where I learned the beauty of flowers
and was able to express
with cut flowers the design and color values that people find so compelling
in my paintings. My floral career led to participating in large-scale
arrangements at the 1961 and 1962 Academy Awards presentation dinners.
I lived in Hawaii for a period of time, and traveled throughout the
islands looking closely at the flora and fauna. As I recall, it was in
Hawaii that I began to feel the artistic stirrings. I seemed to view
things differently from others...I didn't just see flowers and trees,
I saw all their wonders… their seasons… and their textures.
I feel a oneness with nature that continues to this day.
I have avid collectors of my work. They are drawn to the full bloom
flowers coming at you out of the canvas and are further intrigued by
the detail created in the shadows. I love the moods and play of light
in nature, and I find all of these incredible expressions fascinating.
And, because of the fine detail in my paintings, people will often think
that I work from photographs. But, I find it difficult to try to work
from photographs. Ninety percent of my painting is done from memory;
I work best when I am creating what I see in my head. I can always find
a positiveness in everything, for I have no room for negativity. An important
goal of mine is to continuously grow and to take my art beyond what I
have done before. My art style or the interpretation of it should be
left for the viewer to find out what he or she sees in it.
 Contact the artist at:
McKee Studios
PO Box 567
Gervais, Oregon 97026
Phone: (503) 792-3192
Fax: (520) 563-8330
Email: lary@larymckee.com
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