Jon Hanson is a watercolor artist based in Minneapolis–St. Paul. His work is shaped by two landscapes: the wide-open quiet of the American Upper Midwest and the shifting light of the Danish coast, where he lived for several years in Aarhus.

He got serious about watercolor in 2023 while living in Denmark, drawn to a medium that rewards presence over precision. He is moving towards painting more plein air, where you can feel the subject, respond directly to light, weather, and place. His recent work often centers on contrast — light against dark, vast against intimate, calm against movement — capturing the subtle drama of landscapes, seascapes, and city scenes.

He paints with an eye for atmosphere, informed by time spent in Denmark and throughout Europe, and rooted now in the long horizons and big skies of home.