Since childhood, I’ve been strongly influenced in nearly every aspect of my life by the landscape that I lived near or spent time in. It has always affected who I am, providing me with both active recreation and solitude for thought, inspiration for my art but most of all it has enriched my soul. Early in my explorations as a visual thinker, my focus was on the living things in the natural world, primarily birds, and the beauty that I found in them and their lives. As time has passed, my focus has widened to include the environment surrounding them. While I’m not preaching a political position by what I paint, I am concerned about its condition, and do want the viewers of my art to see my appreciation for its significance. I am drawn to paint Nature to show my love for the natural world in all of its splendor, grandeur, and seemingly insignificant quiet places, all essential for our own survival as a species. I hope to express my love for the landscape to the viewer of my paintings so that they might also see the significance of it, of that special quality that they may have otherwise overlooked, and realize its essential value to us all.Having grown up in a military family, Marc’s youth was spent on the move. He was born in Oxnard, California and spent some of his early school years there. But his geographical resume soon included Alaska, Florida, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Norway. After his father’s retirement from the Air Force, Marc’s family settled in the small northern California community of Loomis. Marc began college as a biology major, but soon applied to and was accepted into Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, majoring in illustration. After Art Center and a brief stint as a staff illustrator in Sacramento, California, Marc moved to Minnesota where he lived for 33 years while raising a family and pursuing his art. He currently lives near Savannah, GA on Tybee Island.Marc has shown his work in galleries and museums nationally and internationally since the early 1980’s.He is a Master Signature Member of The Oil Painters of America (O.P.A.M.) AWARDS: Casein 2026 Richeson School of Art and Gallery ~ Best in Show 2026American Tonalist Society ~ Award of Excellence, Ballard’s Fine Art Gallery 2025OPA National Juried Salon ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2024OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition ~ Master Signature Award of Excellence 2024Acrylic Works 11 ~ Finalist and Honorable Mention Awards 2024NOAPS ~ Merit Award ~ Fall 2022 Online International Exhibit 2022AIS ~ Award of Merit ~ Associate Member Online Exhibition 2021IAPS ~ HK Holbein Award ~ All Member Online Exhibition 2020NOAPS ~ Award of Excellence Fall 2020 International Online Exhibition 2020OPA Virtual Juried Salon ~ Bronze Medal Master Signature Division 2020OPA Virtual International Wet Paint Competition ~ Award of Excellence 2020OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2019OPA Salon Show, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Traverse City, MI ~ Bronze Medal Master Signature Division 2018NOAPS Fall 2017 Online International Exhibition ~ Third Place AwardBest of Show - 2017 ISAP International Society of Acrylic Painters 2nd Annual All Member Online ExhibitionOPA Regional Exhibition, Illume Gallery, St George, UT ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2017OPA Regional Exhibition, Anderson Fine Art, St. Simons’ Island, GA ~ Silver Medal Master Signature Division 2017Door County Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2011, Artist Choice and First Place 2012, First Place 2013, ThirdPlace 2015Door County Plein Air Festival ~ Artist's Choice 2nd place, Juror's Award for best portfolio 2nd place ~ 2010Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Cezanne Best Landscape’ Award 2017 ~Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Jurors Choice Award’ - 2017Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Cezanne Best Landscape’ Award 2016 ~Oil Painters of America - Master Signature Member Status (OPAM) 2016Door County Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2011, Artist Choice and First, Place 2012, First Place 2013, ThirdPlace 2015RMPAP ( Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters) Paint the Park - First Place 2014,RMPAP Rocky Mountain NP Plein Air- Best Body of Work 2014, RMPAP Paint the ParkBest Body of Work and Award of Excellence 2015Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - Francesca Kerpel Wenger ‘Best Sense of Place’ Award 2015PAAC ( Plein Air Artists Colorado)- Third Place 2015Door County Plein Air Festival ~ Featured Artist of the Year 2011Canvoo Bold Brush Competition, 2nd Place 2009, 2010 Finalist Oils, Finalist Pastel.John Marion Pardy Landscape Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of Americas 19th Annual National JuriedExhibition~Legacy Gallery~Scottsdale, AZ 2010Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of Americas 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition~Sage Creek Gallery~ Santa Fe,NM 2009Presidents Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National Exhibition ~ Whistle Pik Gallery ~ Fredericksburg,Texas 2007Phipps Center for the Arts ~ 2006 Members Exhibition ~ Award of DistinctionInternational Artist ~ 2006 Landscape Challenge ~ FinalistPastel Journal ~ 2004 PASTELS 100 ~ Honorable Mention Award, LandscapePastel Journal ~ 2003 PASTELS 100 ~ Fifth Place Landscape ~ Two Honorable Mention Awards, LandscapePastel Journal ~ 2002 PASTELS 100 ~ Second Place LandscapeAwarded Signature Status, Oil Painters of America ( O.P.A.) 2001Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Gallery Americana ~ Carmel, California 2000Par Excellence Award, EAA Aviation Art Exhibit ~ Oshkosh, Wisconsin 1999EXHIBITIONS and GALLERIES:Cape Cod National Seashore 50th Anniversary Exhibit, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Orleans, MA 2011Coleman Fine Art 'Wet Paint' ~ Charleston, SC ~ 2011Creative Convergence: Cape Cod ~ Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA ~ 2011Creative Convergence: San Miguel ~ Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA ~ 2010SAS Beaux Arts Auction ~ Scottsdale, AZ ~ 2010The Value of Black and White ~ Penninsula Art School, Fish Creek, WI ~ 2010Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Devin Gallery, Cour d' Alene, ID ~ 2011Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ ~ 2010Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Sage Creek Gallery, Santa Fe, NM ~ 2009Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Dana Gallery, Missioula, MT ~ 2008Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Whistle Pik Gallery, Fredricksburg, TX ~ 2007Salon International 2007 ~ Greenhouse Gallery ~ San Antonio, TX ~ 2007Small Paintings Exhibit ~ Waterhouse Gallery ~ Santa Barbara, CA ~ 2007Coleman Fine Art ~ ‘Nocturnes’, Marc Hanson, John Cosby, and Mary Whyte ~ 2006American Legacy Gallery ~ Summer Show, Marc Hanson, Mark Feckinger, and Jeff Legg 2006Oil Painters of America 14th Annual National Exhibit ~ Hilligoss Gallery ~Chicago, Illinois ~ 2005American Legacy Gallery ~ ‘Summer Group Show’ ~ 2004Oil Painters of America Midwest Regional Exhibit ~ Hilligoss Gallery ~Chicago, Illinois ~ 2004Coleman Fine Art,Ltd ~ Charleston,South CarolinaWaterhouse Gallery ~ Santa Barbara, CaliforniaNichol’s Taos Fine Art Gallery ~ Taos, New MexicoAmerican Legacy Gallery ~ ’The Beauty of Traditional Landscapes’ ~ Kansas City,Missouri 2003Water Street Gallery ~ Saugatuck, MichiganMeadow Creek Gallery presents ‘Marc Hanson’ ~ Edina, Minnesota 2003 ‘Premier Collection” Group Show ~Meadow Creek Gallery 2002‘Art du Jour’ ~ Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina ~ Minnesota 2002Christmas Miniatures ~ Meadow Creek Gallery ~ Edina, Minnesota 2001Oil Painters of America Midwest Regional Exhibit ~ Hilligoss Galleries ~ Chicago, Illinois 2003Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Zantman Art Galleries ~ Palm Desert, California 2001Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Gallery Americana ~ Carmel, California 2000Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Vanier Fine Art ~ Scottsdale, Arizona 1999Minnesota Landscapes ~ River Gallery ~ St. Paul, Minnesota 1997Rochester Art Center ~ Rochester, Minnesota...~ Southeastern Minnesota Landscapes-Seven Points of View 1995~ Minnesota Landscape Painters 1993~ Southeastern Minnesota Artists Exhibit 1989Fall Classics Art Show ~ White Oak Gallery ~ Edina, Minnesota & Ponderosa ArtGallery ~ Hamilton, Montana since 1985Gateway Gallery ~ Albuquerque, New MexicoAmerican Miniatures ~ Settler’s West Gallery ~ Scottsdale, ArizonaTalisman Gallery ~ Bartlesville, OklahomaCornucopia Art Center ~ Lanesboro, MinnesotaJack Dennis’ Wyoming Gallery ~ Jackson, WyomingJackson Rendezvous ~ Claggett/Rey Gallery ~ Vail, ColoradoBuffalo Museum of Science ~ Buffalo, New YorkHigh Desert Museum ~ Bend, OregonBeijing Museum of Natural History ~ People’s Republic of ChinaBernice Pauahi Bishop Museum ~ Honolulu, HawaiiSanta Barbara Museum ~ Santa Barbara, CaliforniaFrye Art Museum ~ Seattle, Washington‘ Nature of the Beast’ ~ Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art ~ Loretto, Pennsylvania‘ Birds in Art ‘ ~ Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum ~ Wausau, Wisconsin 1981 Multiple showsNational Geographic Society Exhibit ~ Smithsonian Institution ~ Washington,DCSoutheastern Exhibition ~ Charleston, South CarolinaEaston Waterfowl Festival ~ Easton, MarylandCarnegie Museum of Natural History ~ Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaBritish Museum of Natural History ~ London, EnglandRoyal Scottish Academy ~ Edinburgh, ScotlandRecent Publications-~ Plein Air Magazine - Feature and Cover 2013~ Southwest Art Magazine - Feature and Cover 2012~ Additional articles in the trade magazines where his art has been featured 2011- 2017~ Book - Oil Painting Secrets with the Masters (Auth. Cindy Salaski/Publisher Northlight Books) 2014~ Art Collector 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011~ The Artist’s Magazine 2005~ Plein Air Magazine Featured 2005, Feature and Cover 2013 ~ The Pastel Journal 2002, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2011RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:The Hamilton Collection, Illustrator ~ 1993 - 1995Nice Man Merchandising, Illustrator ~ 1990 - 1993National Screenprint, Illustrator ~ 1986 - 1989National Geographic Society, Illustrator ~ 1983 - 1984Rakela and Company Design Studio ~ Sacramento, California ~ Staff IllustratorAFFILIATIONS:Oil Painters of America (O.P.A.M.) ~ Master Signature MemberPUBLICATIONS:Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air, Michael Chesley Johnson, Author 2022American Art Collector, ‘Nocturnes’, 2006, Creative Convergence 2010, 2011International Artist Magazine, Landscape Finalist, Issue 47 Feb/Mar 2006Plein Air Magazine, Feature Story and Demonstration, February 2005, Feature and Cover 2013The Pastel Journal, Pastel 100 2002, 2003, 2004Sporting Classics Magazine, Feature Story 1993National Geographic Society ‘ A Field Guide to North American Birds’, 1984