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 with his partner and painter, Dottie T. Leatherwood and their two dogs. 

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.) 

Other recent awards include:

Casein 2026 Richeson School of Art and Gallery ~ Best in Show 2026

American Tonalist Society ~ Award of Excellence, Ballard’s Fine Art Gallery 2025 OPA National Juried Salon ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2024

OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition ~ Master Signature Award of Excellence 2024 Acrylic Works 11 ~ Finalist and Honorable Mention Awards 2024

NOAPS ~ Merit Award ~ Fall 2022 Online International Exhibit 2022

AIS ~ Award of Merit ~ Associate Member Online Exhibition 2021

IAPS ~ HK Holbein Award ~ All Member Online Exhibition 2020

NOAPS ~ Award of Excellence Fall 2020 International Online Exhibition 2020

OPA Virtual Juried Salon ~ Bronze Medal Master Signature Division 2020

OPA Virtual International Wet Paint Competition ~ Award of Excellence 2020

OPA Eastern Regional Exhibition ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2019 OPA Salon Show, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Traverse City, MI ~ Bronze Medal Master Signature Division 2018

NOAPS Fall 2017 Online International Exhibition ~ Third Place Award

Best of Show - 2017 ISAP International Society of Acrylic Painters 2nd Annual All Member Online Exhibition

OPA Regional Exhibition, Illume Gallery, St George, UT ~ Gold Medal Master Signature Division 2017

OPA Regional Exhibition, Anderson Fine Art, St. Simons’ Island, GA ~ Silver Medal Master Signature Division 2017

Door County Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2011, Artist Choice and First Place 2012, First Place 2013, Third Place 2015

Door County Plein Air Festival ~ Artist's Choice 2nd place, Juror's Award for best portfolio 2nd place ~ 2010

Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Cezanne Best Landscape’ Award 2017 ~

Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Jurors Choice Award’ - 2017

Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - ‘Cezanne Best Landscape’ Award 2016 ~

Oil Painters of America - Master Signature Member Status (OPAM) 2016

Door County Plein Air Festival - Honorable Mention 2011, Artist Choice and First, Place 2012, First Place 2013, Third Place 2015

RMPAP ( 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 Park

Best Body of Work and Award of Excellence 2015

Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA - Francesca Kerpel Wenger ‘Best Sense of Place’ Award 2015

PAAC ( Plein Air Artists Colorado)- Third Place 2015

Door County Plein Air Festival ~ Featured Artist of the Year 2011

Canvoo 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 Juried Exhibition~Legacy Gallery~Scottsdale, AZ 2010

Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of Americas 18th Annual National Juried Exhibition~Sage Creek Gallery~ Santa Fe, NM 2009

Presidents Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National Exhibition ~ Whistle Pik Gallery ~ Fredericksburg, Texas 2007

Phipps Center for the Arts ~ 2006 Members Exhibition ~ Award of Distinction International Artist ~ 2006 Landscape Challenge ~ Finalist

Pastel Journal ~ 2004 PASTELS 100 ~ Honorable Mention Award, Landscape

Pastel Journal ~ 2003 PASTELS 100 ~ Fifth Place Landscape ~ Two Honorable Mention Awards, Landscape

Pastel Journal ~ 2002 PASTELS 100 ~ Second Place Landscape

Awarded Signature Status, Oil Painters of America ( O.P.A.) 2001

Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Gallery Americana ~ Carmel, California 2000

Par Excellence Award, EAA Aviation Art Exhibit ~ Oshkosh, Wisconsin 1999

EXHIBITIONS and GALLERIES:

Cape Cod National Seashore 50th Anniversary Exhibit, Cape Cod Museum of Art, Orleans, MA 2011

Coleman Fine Art 'Wet Paint' ~ Charleston, SC ~ 2011

Creative Convergence: Cape Cod ~ Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA ~ 2011 Creative Convergence: San Miguel ~ Addison Art Gallery, Orleans, MA ~ 2010 SAS Beaux Arts Auction ~ Scottsdale, AZ ~ 2010

The Value of Black and White ~ Penninsula Art School, Fish Creek, WI ~ 2010

Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Devin Gallery, Cour d' Alene, ID ~ 2011 Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Legacy Gallery, Scottsdale, AZ ~ 2010 Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Sage Creek Gallery, Santa Fe, NM ~ 2009

Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Dana Gallery, Missioula, MT ~ 2008

Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Whistle Pik Gallery, Fredricksburg, TX ~ 2007

Salon International 2007 ~ Greenhouse Gallery ~ San Antonio, TX ~ 2007

Small Paintings Exhibit ~ Waterhouse Gallery ~ Santa Barbara, CA ~ 2007 Coleman Fine Art ~ ‘Nocturnes’, Marc Hanson, John Cosby, and Mary Whyte ~ 2006

American Legacy Gallery ~ Summer Show, Marc Hanson, Mark Feckinger, and Jeff Legg 2006

Oil Painters of America 14th Annual National Exhibit ~ Hilligoss Gallery ~Chicago, Illinois ~ 2005

American Legacy Gallery ~ ‘Summer Group Show’ ~ 2004

Oil Painters of America Midwest Regional Exhibit ~ Hilligoss Gallery ~ Chicago, Illinois ~ 2004

Coleman Fine Art,Ltd ~ Charleston,South Carolina

Waterhouse Gallery ~ Santa Barbara, California

Nichol’s Taos Fine Art Gallery ~ Taos, New Mexico

American Legacy Gallery ~ ’The Beauty of Traditional Landscapes’ ~ Kansas City,Missouri 2003

Water Street Gallery ~ Saugatuck, Michigan

Meadow Creek Gallery presents ‘Marc Hanson’ ~ Edina, Minnesota 2003 ‘Premier Collection” Group Show ~

Meadow Creek Gallery 2002

‘Art du Jour’ ~ Meadow Creek Gallery, Edina ~ Minnesota 2002

Christmas Miniatures ~ Meadow Creek Gallery ~ Edina, Minnesota 2001

Oil Painters of America Midwest Regional Exhibit ~ Hilligoss Galleries ~ Chicago, Illinois 2003

Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Zantman Art Galleries ~ Palm Desert, California 2001

Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Gallery Americana ~ Carmel, California 2000

Oil Painters of America National Exhibit ~ Vanier Fine Art ~ Scottsdale, Arizona 1999

Minnesota Landscapes ~ River Gallery ~ St. Paul, Minnesota 1997

Rochester Art Center ~ Rochester, Minnesota...

~ Southeastern Minnesota Landscapes-Seven Points of View 1995

~ Minnesota Landscape Painters 1993

~ Southeastern Minnesota Artists Exhibit 1989

Fall Classics Art Show ~ White Oak Gallery ~ Edina, Minnesota & Ponderosa Art Gallery ~ Hamilton, Montana since 1985

Gateway Gallery ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

American Miniatures ~ Settler’s West Gallery ~ Scottsdale, Arizona

Talisman Gallery ~ Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Cornucopia Art Center ~ Lanesboro, Minnesota

Jack Dennis’ Wyoming Gallery ~

Jackson, Wyoming Jackson Rendezvous ~ Claggett/Rey Gallery ~ Vail, Colorado Buffalo Museum of Science ~ Buffalo, New York

High Desert Museum ~ Bend, Oregon

Beijing Museum of Natural History ~ People’s Republic of China

Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum ~ Honolulu, Hawaii

Santa Barbara Museum ~ Santa Barbara, California

Frye 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 shows

National Geographic Society Exhibit ~ Smithsonian Institution ~ Washington,DC Southeastern Exhibition ~ Charleston, South Carolina

Easton Waterfowl Festival ~ Easton, Maryland

Carnegie Museum of Natural History ~ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

British Museum of Natural History ~ London, England

Royal Scottish Academy ~ Edinburgh, Scotland

Recent 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, 2011

RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE:

The Hamilton Collection, Illustrator ~ 1993 - 1995

Nice Man Merchandising, Illustrator ~ 1990 - 1993

National Screenprint, Illustrator ~ 1986 - 1989

National Geographic Society, Illustrator ~ 1983 - 1984

Rakela and Company Design Studio ~ Sacramento, California ~ Staff Illustrator

AFFILIATIONS:

Oil Painters of America (O.P.A.M.) ~ Master Signature Member

PUBLICATIONS:

Beautiful Landscape Painting Outdoors: Mastering Plein Air, Michael Chesley Johnson, Author 2022

American Art Collector, ‘Nocturnes’, 2006, Creative Convergence 2010, 2011 International Artist Magazine, Landscape Finalist, Issue 47 Feb/Mar 2006

Plein Air Magazine, Feature Story and Demonstration, February 2005, Feature and Cover 2013

The Pastel Journal, Pastel 100 2002, 2003, 2004

Sporting Classics Magazine, Feature Story 1993

National Geographic Society ‘ A Field Guide to North American Birds’, 1984