About the Artist

Curt Hanson was born on June 12, 1949 in Spokane, WA and passed away on October 13, 2017 in Cornwall, CT.

He describes below the purpose of his work and its development over the years:

"Back in the early 70’s, I came across an essay and catalog by Robert Herbert which accompanied an exhibition called Barbizon Revisited. I never saw the show and the reproductions in the little book were not very good, but it caught my interest. It led to a growing interest in what is called “the Barbizon School” and what later became referred to as tonalist painting here in America. This basically set the course of my life work over the past 45 years. There is something about the somber quiet mood of the Tonalist landscape that has never left me even though impressionism and open-air painting has had its effect on my development. Now, most of the work is done in the studio, beginning with thin transparent layers of tone and then a process of layering and scumbling and adding heavier paint if it is called for. It is not so much based on what is actually seen as I was doing when I was younger as it is a visual poem that may have reference to a particular view. The decisions about what goes in, what is left out or when to leave off, comes more from the painting itself and not from the fleeting conditions of working directly from nature. This is not to say that fine work cannot be done painting directly from nature, but there comes a point when it is time to step back and let the painting speak on its own terms. The purpose of the work is to convey a certain feeling. That feeling, in this case, is a quiet mood. A reflective mood, sometimes melancholy but with a sense of peace about it. That is what I took away from those tonalist paintings many years ago caused by an investigation into a deeper place than only appearances."

About the Artist

I studied in Boston from 1976 until 1980 with Tom Dunlay, Robert Cormier, Ives Gammell, and Paul Ingbretson at the Fenway Studios. In 2001, I took over an old church in Cornwall Hollow, CT. Most all of the subject matter comes from right out of the 16-foot windows of this old building. The Tonalist painter, Ben Foster, who died in 1925, worked right here and his motifs can still be seen here in the Hollow. Tonalism is the best description of what I do today. Realism and Impressionism also lay the foundation for what my work is built upon. The most important influence on my work comes from George Inness. Back in 1984, I named my son “Inness.” George Inness’ work first hit me in New York when I moved East from Washington State and to this day has never left me. I do not have a long list of awards and museums associated with my work as I just have not put my energy there. The best accolades I have is that I have been making a good living at it for a very long time and a growing list of collectors keep coming back for more. This has afforded me to focus on painting every day without much distraction. The ever-changing seasons along with a large vegetable garden and a lovely Thai wife, Onwarin, provide me with all I need to live in harmony with nature. The paintings are a visual prayer that goes out to all sentient beings. 

Best regards, Curt.

I met Curt in 2006 in Bangkok, Thailand and the rest is history.

A great artist he was, who would get up before 5 am to meditate.  The serenity, tranquility, the reflective quality, the quiet and sometimes melancholy mood, the sense of peace, are evident in all his works.  They speak to you on their own terms.  

Be at peace!

Onwarin