Three Painting Styles Developing in the Studio

Three Painting Styles Developing in the Studio

by | Jun 10, 2022 | Abstraction, Cold Wax and Oil, Nicholas Wilton

Over the last few weeks I have working on three different series of paintings ongoing in the studio. Find these three styles on the Latest Work page. I’ve separated them out so its easier to see the three styles.

The first is the Cold Wax method of painting, which has been on hold for the moment. I plan to revive this style either before or during a trip to Mexico with well known cold wax painter Jerry McLaughlin in October. These paintings are on the small side due to using a substrate of wood panels, which can be heavy. Some painters use museum quality heavy paper which then has to be glued to wood.

The second is the curvilinear series of large paintings using acrylic and mixed media. I have about five made, two of which have been sold. These paintings are inspired by the work of Claire B. Cotts, who I have been following and actually viewed her work in Santa Fe this past November. See comment on these paintings by noted arts writer John Koch in the REVIEW/BIO page.

Lastly, Inspired by the drip technique of Nicholas Wilton, I have been experimenting with acrylic on larger canvases. I have three done and another in the making. These are thrilling to make because you don’t know what you will come up with each time. Similar to what Gerhardt Richter says in the Netflix movie, you just react and keep going until it looks done.

Intimacy and Power

by | Jul 27, 2020 | Arts, Awards, Cold Wax and Oil, Nicholas Wilton

Nicholas Wilton recently spoke with artist Nadine Renazile, and she shared something about painting with scale that confirmed his creative experience, but never thought through to put into words.

“Small, tiny paintings need to feel powerful and large paintings need to feel intimate.”

See the video interview here: https://www.art2life.com/2020/07/26/the-intimacy-of-scale/

I’m sharing three small paintings I did in a series before the Black Lives Matter interrupted into a national crisis. I was thinking about slavery and maybe it was Black Lives month, and reports of police abuse were beginning to be being aired. So I did this. Only when the first two were made did I recognize what I had made. The third one was begun and I saw a skull. The series came into being. Serendipity but also an artist will to communicate a thought. So I think this is a good example of tiny paintings that feel powerful.

The paintings below describe the experience of an African Slave in America.  From left to right: A Way In as a slave via a ship, The Hiding Place while fleeing slavery, and finally Death of a Slave.