Artist Registry

Would be happy to help other artist bring their own ideas to fruition.

It’s not unusual to find Larry DeGraff at the end of a dirt road, brush in hand, trying to capture the light unique to that place and time. His goal: to share the beauty all around that we are too busy to see.

I paint to live and to breathe. Before painting, I saw black and white, now I see color. It is literally life and breath to me today. I am accepting the gifts of God now. Every time my paints touch canvas, I truly believe I am an artist and I receive the blessing of creativity unconditionally. Each painting comes with a word to my heart that I translate to what my eyes can see and understand. I am simply blown away by the gifts given and gifts taken away, one painting at a time.

I paint fleeting moments of beauty found in the landscape. It is not that beauty is rare, I believe the opposite is true, every moment is beautiful but it is also always changing. My art is an attempt at capturing that moment before it is gone.  I am especially inspired by skies, water and trees. I love to paint outside whenever possible, because all of your senses are involved in the experience.  In the studio I work from sketches and photographs. I paint with both oils and watercolors depending on my mood and the circumstances.

Retirement means I can now have fun exploring the wonderful world of artistic photography, while enjoying nature's beauty!

I hope to show an appreciation of art by imaginative, creative and artistic content in my paintings. I feel that nature and the Ozarks area give me the inspiration to paint watercolors. I have shown art work at the Ozark Empire Fair, Missouri State Fair, Mama Jeans, Nearly Famous Deli, and other local venues, and numerous art shows around Missouri and Kansas.

Art has been my constant companion since childhood.

"The world of digital ....ENHANCED" In my photography, I feel compelled not to leave the image rest on the Kodak paper...I must take it to the next level and beyond... "Is it a watercolor? Oil painting? A lithograph?" they inquire. "No it is a result of a transition." as am I...is that another grey hair in the mirror I see? Then I color it! Bring it to the level of beauty and add a bit of punch!

My intent as an artist is to create a counterbalance to the darkness in the world, imbuing a sense of peace, joy and wonder in our universe. When I place my brush to the canvas, I feel God meets me there. I have this sense of connection to His creative nature that leads me on a journey of exploration, searching out His hand in nature. Whether a beautiful flower, a splash of color or the God spark in a child's eyes, I strive to unwrap the divine fingerprint in each subject.

M. Scott Phifer — “Unplanned Parts”

When I am painting, I am having a conversation with the canvas, paint and eventually the artwork itself. Sometimes the conversation is a short chat. Sometimes the conversation is a long drawn out affair that takes weeks. And because of that, I believe, my artwork reflects my life. There are a few overwhelming themes in my artwork, family and friends, love, angels and mothers.

As a person who takes the road less traveled, every painting is an experiment, an exercise in visual problem solving. My goal is to create a harmonious composition of variation, texture, movement, light and dark, repetition and balance; similar to a musical composition.

Since childhood I have been drawn to the realists and I would often try to duplicate their paintings. My art today is considered realistic. My varied sources of inspiration come from simple things in nature, ordinary things around the home, the beauty of the Ozarks, farmland and animals. I believe that art is a lifelong process of learning and growing and I participate in many workshops.