Layne Larsen was educated as an electrical engineer, but trained as an Air Navigator. In his 37 years in the Canadian Forces he served as an aircrew officer, an engineer, an intelligence analyst, Deputy Commandant of Royal Military College, and in the personnel field in Canada and Europe prior to taking early retirement in 1994 (at the rank of Colonel) to convert a hobby of 50 years duration into a full-time second career.

He is a self-taught artist who works in watercolour, gouache, acrylic, ink and pencil to produce work that is highly realistic in style, emphasizing accurate detail and the play of light and shadow. He specializes in Canadian wildlife, but includes figure studies, portraits, aviation and military subjects, architecture and landscapes in his portfolio.

His work has hung in galleries in Canada, the USA and Europe and is to be found in private collections in Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, the former Jugoslavia, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK, the USA, the former Soviet Union and Venezuela. It has been used to produce nine series of limited edition reproductions. He is the published author of seven books and more than 250 technical monographs, is a columnist for Canadian Stamp News, is listed in "Canada's Who's Who" and also operates a full-service framing business.

In the Kingston area, his work may be seen at Gallery VAGA in Gananoque, Ontario.