Larry Fanning was a self-taught western and wildlife artist. He was born in Kansas in 1938. He attended Kansas State University on an athletic scholarship from high school as the State champion wrestler. He began his art career as an illustrator in the public relations department at The Boeing Company. At age twenty-two he relocated to Santa Monica, California, to pursue commercial art and graphic design. Concomitantly, Larry Fanning became a non-denominational minister with a radio call and talk show that emphasized successful well-being through spiritual living.
In 1988, Fanning began his pursuit of fine-art oil painting. This career change was personally demanding and financially risky in order to be accepted by high-end galleries and fine-art collectors. Larry Fanning moved to Colorado because of its rich-scenic beauty, history, and wildlife.
There are many skilled western artists, but few have risen to the level of Fanning’s as evidenced by his national and international professional recognition. His oil on canvas paintings show exquisite attention to detail, texture, and color. His American West and Native American artworks depict the true nature of the old West. Larry Fanning also lets us see wildlife as God’s art.
Larry Fanning’s studio was in the heart of the majestic Rocky Mountains that provided a wellspring of natural beauty, historical richness, and spiritual energy that is central to his paintings.
Fanning’s canvasses shine with the purity of the nature of his subjects. Larry Fanning’s paintings reflect the beauty and significance of all living things and a clear appreciation for the splendor of life. This can be seen in the gaze of a trail boss, a Native American’s somber pose, the eyes of the wolf, the tender bond of a mare and her foal, or the majestic beauty of the great beasts of the African plains.
Larry Fanning passed away in Colorado in 2014.