Nicolai, my husband, partner, best friend, and talented and prolific artist, ended his journey on this earth on Thursday, April 24. It was a conscious decision after a battle with double pneumonia and a month-long hospital stay. True to his character, he approached this final step with courage and humor. He leaves behind a strong family who is in awe of his bravery and the love he shared with us.

Our journey together began over 50 years ago in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and one of his regrets during this final journey was that he would not be around for our 50th anniversary in October. His last concern was for planet Earth. Although he believed he would leave his body like a shooting rocket, he felt that he would not get too far, as the planet needed protection.

Nicolai Larsen was known for his inventive, visionary painted imagery, fine art canvases, award-winning large-scale mural art, and architectural painted environments. Nicolai studied art at the San Francisco Art Institute and the Academy of Art College. He was selected to work in the CETA Art in Public Places Project in San Mateo County, CA. Later, he became a set designer at Marine World/Africa USA. Nicolai has been internationally commissioned to create works for public, corporate, and private clients.

Starting in 1982, Nicolai operated his own visual arts company specializing in fine arts, murals, trompe l’oeil, and design. He has exhibited his work in many venues, including the Peninsula Museum of Art, Diablo Valley Planetarium, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, NASA Ames Research Center, and the Vorpal Gallery in San Francisco.

Nicolai moved to Chico from the Bay Area in 2013 with his wife, son, and dog. He came to appreciate the North Valley for its wide open space and relaxed pace of life. The valley and its surroundings provided a wealth of imagery for an artist to respond to, and a quieter, more contemplative place to develop new work. The Chico art community also offered him a chance to engage with art organizations. Shortly after relocating to Chico, Nicolai joined the Chico Art Center and became involved in shepherding innovative exhibition concepts and organizing fun fundraisers while serving on the board of the Chico Art Center.