About the Artist

 

Larry Fentz was born and raised in central Indiana. His art career started in the mid 1970’s along with his passion for watercolor painting and two years of study in the medium of watercolor with Indiana artist Luke Buck. During that same time, Larry worked several years as a technical draftsman, artist and designer for a few commercial design studios in Indianapolis, which got his foot in the door of the art world.

 

In November 1983, at age 29, he moved to Muncie, IN. to work as a staff artist at Paws Inc., home of the Garfield comic strip.  He instantly became an integral part of the comic strip production and merchandising art as an inker and airbrush artist. After a 33 year career there, he now devotes all of his time to his artwork.

 

 

Artist Profile

Larry has pursued watercolor painting for over 50 years. He considers himself a contemporary transparent watercolor artist with a style between impressionism and realism. His main objective is to simplify, paint expressively with strong values and paint with the largest brush possible for as long as possible, allowing the water to do it's magic before finishing with minimal detail.

Learning many techniques over the years a couple of his favorites are incorporating "lost and found edges" and the power of creating "negative shapes."

"An artist develops a unique and personal style over time, striving to master his medium and training his eye to compose and interpret what he sees, leading the viewers attention to a focal point in a painting. At this point the artist's eyes, brushes and paints become a different set of story-telling tools."

Even though Larry considers himself as being self-taught, meaning no formal art education, he recognizes the many influences in his life that have helped shaped him to be the artist he is today.

Larry has had the privilege to study under such renowned watercolor favorites as Luke Buck, the-late-great Zoltan Szabo, Sterling Edwards, Joe Miller (Cheap Joe's Art Stuff), Tony Couch, Frank Webb, Don Getz, Don Andrews, Yuki Hall, Iain Stewart and Thomas Schaller to name a few.

 

 

Private and Corporate Collections

 

3Rivers Federal Credit Union, Muncie, IN.

Whiskey Painters of America, Uniontown, OH. Original members private collection.

 

Publications

 

Larry was invited to publish a 3-1/2 page article about "The Advantages of Painting in Miniature" and the story of the "Whiskey Painters of America" in the Jan/Feb 2021 issue of the "Watercolor Artist" magazine. He has been a subscriber to this international watercolor magazine for over 40 years.

 

Larry was sponsored by, renowned watercolor artist, Sterling Edwards and was inducted as a lifetime, Signature Member of the Whiskey Painters of America on April 25, 2019. whiskeypainters.org

 

Larry earned his Signature Membership in 2020 with the Watercolor Society of Indiana, (WSI)

 

 

Public Displays and Demos

 

October - Dec 7th 2026 - Solo Display at Four Day Ray Brewing, Muncie, IN.

 

September 2026 - Solo Display at the Delaware Country Club, Muncie, IN.

 

Whiskey Painters of America, Official members private collection, Uniontown, OH.

 

October 2023 - ? Paintings on display at Gordy's Fine Art and Framing, Muncie, IN

 

February 2024 Painting Demo for the Ft.Wayne Artists Guild, Ft.Wayne, IN

 

 

Shows and Exhibits

Larry has exhibited and sold paintings in Juried shows such as the Hoosier Art Salon-Indianapolis, IN.; the Castle Gallery-Fort Wayne, IN.; Minnetrista Cultural Center-Muncie, IN.; Strokes of Nature-Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis, IN. and  First Thursday Art Walk-Muncie, IN.

 

 

Most Recent Shows

 

November-December 7th, 2026 Minnetrista Museum and Gardens, Annual Juried Show, Muncie, IN.

 

March-April 2026 Whiskey Painters of America (WPA) at the Lake County Museum of Art (LCMA) Tavares FL. (Four paintings)

 

May-June 2025 Watercolor Society of Indiana, (WSI), Annual Members Exhibit at the Eiteljorg Museum, Indianapolis, IN.

 

March-May 2025 Whiskey Painters of America, (WPA), North Art Gallery & Studios, Oklahoma City, OK.

 

November 2024 Whiskey Painters of America holiday show, (WPA), Hudson Fine Art & Framing, Hudson, OH.

 

December 2024 Indiana Plein Air Painters Assoc., (IPAPA), Annual Members Exhibition, Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, IN.

 

February 2024 Watercolor Society of Indiana, (WSI), Exhibit at the Brown County Art Gallery, Nashville, IN

 

November 2023 National Whiskey Painters of America Show, at Hudson Fine Art & Framing Co. Hudson OH. (6 miniature Whiskey Paintings)

 

October 2023 Three Man Gallery Show, at Gordy's Fine Art and Framing, Muncie IN. Oct.5 thru Nov.11

 

September 2023 IPAPA Plein-Air paint out, show and contest, in Converse, IN. on Main Street. Larry was honored with 1 of the 5 cash awards. Sept. 21-23.

 

August 2023 The 42nd Annual Whiskey Painters of America Exhibition & Art Sale, at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Cuyahoga Falls, OH. (6 Whiskey Paintings) whiskeypainters.org

 

August 2023 Kentucky Watercolor Society, (KWS) Aqueous, National Juried Exhibition at Preston's Art Center, Henderson Community College, Henderson, KY ("The Daily Grind Cafe")

 

July 2023 Watercolor Society of Indiana, (WSI) 41st Annual Juried Exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at Newfields, Indianapolis, IN ("In Search of the Causeway")

 

June 2022  WPA with the 10th Annual Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition, Red Barn Galleries at Lareau Farm, Waitsfield, VT (6 Whiskey Paintings)

 

March 2022 First Annual Whiskey Painters of America Exhibit (WPA) at the Lake County Museum of Art (LCMA) Tavares FL. (Eight paintings to show)

 

August 2021 Artist Gallery Hall at IU/Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie IN ("Floral Essence")

 

August 2021 Annual Blackford County Arts Center (BCAC) Juried Art Show, Hartford City, IN ("Rivers Bend"),   (Honorable Mention)

 

August 2021 40th Annual Whiskey Painters of America (WPA) Exhibition, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

 

August 2021 Watercolor Society of Indiana (WSI) Juried Exhibit at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at Newfields, Indianapolis, IN ("Shall We Dance?")

 

June 2021 WPA with Green Mountain Watercolor Exhibition, Red Barn Galleries at Lareau Farm, Waitsfield, VT (6 Whiskey Paintings)

 

May 2021 Watercolor Society of Indiana (WSI) Member Exhibit, Indianapolis, IN

 

May 2021 Solo Exhibit - Blackford County Arts Center, Harford City, IN

(37 watercolors, 17  miniature whiskey paintings)

 

April 2021 Valley Art Center invited the Whiskey Painters of America to join the 50th Anniversary Alumni Exhibit, Chagrin Falls, OH (8 miniature-Whiskey Paintings)

 

November 27, 2020 - March 7, 2021 Canton Museum of Art (CMA) an exhibit of the (WPA) permanent collection of paintings titled; 60 PROOF: Six Decades of the Whiskey Painters of America. Nearly 150 miniature Whiskey Paintings of the original founders and current active members.

 

October 2020 Richmond Art Museum (RAM) 122nd Annual Exhibition, Richmond, IN

 

October 2020 Artist Gallery Hall at IU/Ball Memorial Hospital, Muncie IN  (4 miniature-Whiskey Paintings)

 

October 2020 WSI Member Exhibit at the Art Association of Henry County (AAHC), New Castle, IN 

 

August 2020  Annual Watercolor Society of Indiana (WSI) Exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at Newfields, Indianapolis, IN

November 2019 Invitational Whiskey Painters of America (WPA) Exhibition, Hudson, OH

November 2019 Richmond Art Museum (RAM) 121st Annual Exhibition, Richmond, IN

August 2019 Annual Watercolor Society of Indiana (WSI) Exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) at Newfields, Indianapolis, IN (Entry Sold)

July 2019 Arts Place, Blackford Co. Arts Center (BCAC) Annual Juried Show, Hartford City, IN (Honorable Mention)

May 2019 Invitational Whiskey Painters of America (WPA) Exhibition, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

November 2018 Richmond Art Museum (RAM) 120th Annual Exhibition, Richmond, IN

February 2018 Minnetrista's 28th Annual Juried Show, Muncie, IN

 

 

Memberships

Larry is a member of the;

Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, Associate Member, (IPAPA), Indianapolis, IN.

Hoosier Art Salon, Associate Member, Indianapolis, IN.,

Kentucky Watercolor Society, Associate Member, (KWS), Louisville, KY.

American Watercolor Society, Associate Member, (AWS), New York, NY.

Watercolor Society of Indiana, (WSI) Signature Member, Indianapolis, IN.

 He was also inducted into the Whiskey Painters of America, (WPA), as one of 150 exclusive, bone-fide, worldwide Signature Members.

whiskeypainters.org

 

History
 
Larry was a professional staff artist for the Garfield comic strip and merchandising art for over 33 years.
At that time the strip's worldwide syndication had comics in over 2100 newspapers, 111 countries and 26 languages. Larry was accomplished in several mediums and his work with airbrushing, inking and design spanned the gamut of the comic strip and merchandising industry. He has helped create art for print, apparel, publications, and collectibles for such licensees as Andrews McMeel Publishing, Balantine Books, Danbury Mint, and Scholastic Books to name a few.

 

 

Below are a few photos of the strip production and tools used.

 

       

Digital

 

      

Analog

With the comic strip having gone digital, the tools of the trade have changed. Computer software, including Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, now replace hand-inking, coloring and airbrushing. "Apparently you can teach an old dog new tricks." As necessary as the digital age had become, it was disappointing to see original handmade artwork go by the wayside.

 

Below are several pieces of original Garfield merchandising art before going digital.

 

            

Gouache

 

            

Watercolor