"The Art Gallery" Features unique original composition Oil paintings of varied subjects by northern California coastal artist Riki Nelson.

Artist's Statement... Unique Photorealistic Jazz Paintings - I am fascinated by the notion of an artist, doing paintings of other artists, at they create their own art, in this case, paintings of jazz artists. I am currently creating a new body of Jazz Art - oil paintings - that will be unveiled in July/August 2006. They are the next generation of my on going pursuit to marry the best of both traditional realism and vibrant modernism.

Cityscapes, paintings of people - I am also intrigued by the concept of capturing "future history" - recording as realistic original composition archival oil paintings, myriad facets of contemporary culture and climate, knowing that some day, it will be history. I do not care about my own place history, I am more intrigued with the quantum physics of "bringing the present into the future" and visa versa.

Plein air Paintings of the California coast. I have always had a special relationship with the sea. In the Spring and Summer I leave the studio to make field trips to the coast and local lakes to capture the subtle nuances and extreme moods of the California Coastline on canvas from life - plein air - . These spontaneous works, also serve as an artistic counter balance to the intensity of the studio paintings I focus on during the winter. Look for new paintings in late spring, early summer 2006.

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All of my compositions are original. The Jazz Art paintings are all from my own life studies and photos. If I haven't seen and studied and a subject in person, be it a person place or thing, how can I possibly capture the essence of it?

In my art, I seek to capture those brief and deeply moving moments in life, that words do not adequately express. Sometimes these moments are profound, but they can also be playful, sorrowful, joyous or even disturbing, or just the simple beauty of a quiet place where you can hear yourself think.

Some of my favorite subjects are simple boat studies. Boats have personalities. I always wonder where they've been, what their stories are.