Julie Nester Gallery Paintings

“I begin this short essay with my artists’ statement from 1997 because it illustrates my focus on emotion instead of on subject matter starting early on. I approached the idea of writing about what I paint back then with dread and tried to bypass it by being as honest as possible about my process. I’d like to think that I paint anything I want because through paint I can express how I feel. I started training to be an artist in early childhood. I studied texture. I learned about composition. I played with color and observed the beauty of line. My methods were unconventional and invented by me. Many different things inspired me: Cheerios in milk, clouds, hands in food, dry dusty dirt, wet mud puddles, coloring books, fashion photos in the newspaper and my keen need to observe my surroundings. When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I had no answer. I just wanted to watch, and to observe the world around me. I’ve worked for years on a response to that complicated question “what is the work about?” I’ve developed all kinds of stories that seem to make sense at the time, but I have to ask, “isn’t this the same question as ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?”’ I am drawn to the figure, and to capturing physical expression in all types of situations, but especially when we are on our own. The body carries emotion, and most people are unaware that they reveal something of themselves when observed in private moments. When I was young I realized that I could easily understand the unspoken just by watching. It felt like a strange and isolating gift – and sometimes a curse – and I often felt confused and acted out in anger when the words didn’t match what I saw. But I still recognize all kinds of emotion there, and whether what I see is true or not, I relish the vulnerability of the moment. Color is another important tool for me. It’s a self-taught endeavor and one that I explore daily. Color mixing is similar to building flavors in a soup. A soup with just salt is watery and uninteresting. As in cooking, I pay close attention from the first layers what each color feels like in terms of its value, whether it’s warm or cool, and how it fits the composition. I am looking for something that feels harmonious with my nervous system. I begin with abstract shapes, then ask, “Is this shape interesting? Does this color work next to that one? Is it too strong? Is it helpful to the overall composition?” The more complex the mix, the more likely it is to hold my attention, and allow me to linger. Those puddles of paint sitting on my six foot glass palette...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...

Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin's stalwart images have an epic q...

Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin's stalwart images have an epic q...

Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin's stalwart images have an epic q...

Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin's stalwart images have an epic q...

Born in New York City, the son of a Czech architect and Viennese writer, Gary Komarin is a risk taker in contemporary painterly abstraction. Komarin's stalwart images have an epic q...

Photography has been a huge passion since my youth, however the evolution of digital photography created a void in regards to the precision and tactility of film photography. In 2002...

Photography has been a huge passion since my youth, however the evolution of digital photography created a void in regards to the precision and tactility of film photography. In 2002...

"My paintings are an exploration of the phenomena of light. The light that exists within the environment and the light that falls over the objects. I am continually amazed with the...

"My paintings are an exploration of the phenomena of light. The light that exists within the environment and the light that falls over the objects. I am continually amazed with the...

"My paintings are an exploration of the phenomena of light. The light that exists within the environment and the light that falls over the objects. I am continually amazed with the...

"In my current work I am involved with various gestural forms along with a variety of abstract language. I am also using the elements and energy of the landscape in some of the paint...

A.J. Oishi's calm and peaceful paintings are created by compiling thousands of small dots. The circular designs that are common throughout her work symbolize individuals and their jo...

STEPHEN FOSS is widely known for the visually rich surface finish and color that show a return to heavily worked finishes in contemporary painting. His current body of work is a prim...

"I have always loved the patina of old toys, wagons, cars. I love the look of time and timelessness. A thing never becomes really beautiful until it is washed by use and attention. I...

"I have always loved the patina of old toys, wagons, cars. I love the look of time and timelessness. A thing never becomes really beautiful until it is washed by use and attention. I...

A.J. Oishi's calm and peaceful paintings are created by compiling thousands of small dots. The circular designs that are common throughout her work symbolize individuals and their jo...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating the volume of three-dimensional sculptures...

CAROL O'MALIA received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Her paintings have caught the attention of both private and corpo...

CAROL O'MALIA received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Her paintings have caught the attention of both private and corpo...

Kevin Kearns' landscapes come from a place where memory, reality and imagination are combined. They are atmospheric, sensual and continue to evolve over time, allowing the viewer a glimpse into his world. And we are invited to dream, fly over, walk around, live in and contemplate that world – seductive, enticing and coming from very specific memories of places that have fascinated Kearns, whether it be the Hudson Valley where his current studio is located or places like the New England seacoast, Iceland and Europe. The resulting landscape images are full of light, space, color, softly undulating hills that disappear and reappear and broad expansive skies, and yet little sense of human presence or architecture. They combine a strong sense of the abstract with the organic, essentially allowing nature to be nature. The oil paint is allowed to drip, build up, or be scraped back, resulting in the totality of the final image to evoke a variety of qualities that tap into Kearns' very personal responses to the subject matter. Born in Boston and raised on the New Hampshire seacoast, Kearns studied at the Art Institute of Boston and went on to a successful career as an illustrator, Art Director, Designer and Creative Director. His work received numerous awards and accolades, including multiple Cannes Lions, One Show awards. New York Art Director awards, London International Awards an Emmy nomination, and was published in prestigious award show...

CAROL O'MALIA received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Her paintings have caught the attention of both private and corpo...

CAROL O'MALIA received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Her paintings have caught the attention of both private and corpo...

"In my current work I am involved with various gestural forms along with a variety of abstract language. I am also using the elements and energy of the landscape in some of the paint...

"In my current work I am involved with various gestural forms along with a variety of abstract language. I am also using the elements and energy of the landscape in some of the paint...

Photography has been a huge passion since my youth, however the evolution of digital photography created a void in regards to the precision and tactility of film photography. In 2002...

To allow something that I do not control to have an action, to allow oneself to bring this action into a materiality; this is why I make art. My work is very much about process. I f...

To allow something that I do not control to have an action, to allow oneself to bring this action into a materiality; this is why I make art. My work is very much about process. I f...

Capturing the unrehearsed compositions and offhand smiles between family and friends. A visual language that communicates more than the spoken word. Candid and sometimes intimate. Th...

To allow something that I do not control to have an action, to allow oneself to bring this action into a materiality; this is why I make art. My work is very much about process. I f...

CHRIS GWALTNEY is a painter from Southern California. He paints in a lush style, combining areas of abstraction with loose figurative elements. He experiments with sensuous surface...

CHRIS GWALTNEY is a painter from Southern California. He paints in a lush style, combining areas of abstraction with loose figurative elements. He experiments with sensuous surface...

Robert Mellor’s paintings can be viewed as new propositions for visual enactment by the viewer, each work providing cues for engaging with the compositio...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating the volume of three-dimensional sculptures...

Jennifer Nehrbass is a painter living and working in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was born in West Bend, Wisconsin in 1970. She received her B.S. in Art and Textile Design from the U...

Jennifer Nehrbass is a painter living and working in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She was born in West Bend, Wisconsin in 1970. She received her B.S. in Art and Textile Design from the U...

Lisa Golightly is an artist living in Portland, Oregon. With a BFA in art, her initial focus was photography, the influence of which can be seen in her paintings. Her work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape, influence, change and even create memory. She works with acrylic and high gloss enamel, using found photos...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...

To allow something that I do not control to have an action, to allow oneself to bring this action into a materiality; this is why I make art. My work is very much about process. I f...

To allow something that I do not control to have an action, to allow oneself to bring this action into a materiality; this is why I make art. My work is very much about process. I f...

CHRIS GWALTNEY is a painter from Southern California. He paints in a lush style, combining areas of abstraction with loose figurative elements. He experiments with sensuous surface...

CAROL O'MALIA received a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and MFA from University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Her paintings have c...

Lisa Golightly's initial focus was photography, the influence of which can be seen in her paintings. Her work revolves around memory and how snapshots shape, influence, change and even create memory. She works with acrylic and high gloss enamel, using found photos...

Oil on resin paper. PHILIP BULLER is a figurative painter who is known for his historic, large scale paintings and unique surface texture. Buller employs a painting technique that in...

In my current work I am involved with various gestural forms along with a variety of abstract language. I am also using the elements and energy of the landscape in some of the painti...

Synthetic polymer on canvas My work is very much about process. I find the image secondary to the art making. Although abstract in nature, there is an underlying visual order that g...

Oil on panel. STEPHEN FOSS is widely known for the visually rich surface finish and color that show a return to heavily worked finishes in contemporary painting. His current body of ...

Oil on panel. STEPHEN FOSS is widely known for the visually rich surface finish and color that show a return to heavily worked finishes in contemporary painting. His current body of ...

Oil painting on panel.

Oil painting on panel.

Oil painting on panel.

Oil painting on panel.

Photography has been a huge passion since my youth, however the evolution of digital photography created a void in regards to the precision and tactility of film photography. In 2002...

Brad Overton creates large scale paintings of toy figurines; he brings these objects to life by placing them in unique and fantastical settings. "I have...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...

My inspiration is drawn from modern architecture and minimalism. In my work, I juxtapose layers of paper with acrylic paint and a layer of thinly hand-cut paper strips insinuating th...