Laurence Sisson was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1928. He attended the Worcester Art Museum as well as Yale University. He has been artist in residence at Publick House in Sturbridge, Massachusetts and in 1955 became the Director of the Portland Maine School of Fine and Applied Arts.

Known for his seascape paintings of the Maine coast as well as for landscapes of the southwest, Sisson’s style ranges from plein-air watercolors to oil landscapes. He delights in the use of abstracts and surrealist elements, both of which identify his work as being specific to his genius. He is an advocate of “designing by nature” and his work is judged to be a response to traditional Asian landscape painting.

Sisson’s use of unusual colors and special techniques to create his paintings is an indication of the way in which he approaches his work. None of his paintings are literal in the sense of copy from on site observation. Instead, Sisson delights in drawings from his experiences and a lifetime of memories when he paints. This often results in elements of surrealism that is strongly depicted in his painting. His use of unusual colors and special techniques in brush stoke are all elements of his unique style.

Boston Arts Festival – Popular Prize 1957
Allied Artist Award 1955
Elected American Watercolor Society 1956
Boston Arts Festival – Popular Prize 1982
Silvermine Award 1957
Boston Watercolor Society – Webster Prize 1957
Portland Museum – Bowen Purchase Prize 1964
Elected a Copley Master, Copley Society, Boston