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Nick Walters

Nick Walters

Kentucky Crafted Artist
  • Painting

    Bio

    I create original paintings with a focus on emotional connections and details. My end goal is to have pieces that prompt the viewer to create their own narratives.

    Whether I am working on a painting or sitting on a bench watching people walk by, I am constantly creating stories. It is something that I have done since childhood. While I title my pieces based on the storyline I've created while working, it is ultimately up to the viewer to decide what is occurring or has occurred.

    My paintings vary in compositions and colors, but I often am attracted to the human form as the subject. As a child walking through museums, I constantly found myself drawn to paintings featuring people. It wasn't until my adulthood that I realized this inclination was caused by having a strong connection with realistic human portrayals as they prompt me to find a narrative within the pieces.

    When I begin a composition, I start by editing reference photos for color and composition. I have three main sources for the references: pictures I have taken; historical black and white photos, usually from around the 1920s-50s; and social accounts that I stumble upon while online. I like the idea of taking a random photo a person snaps and making it into something permanent and physical. It is a juxtaposition of what many see as low-brow art (social media posts) and recreating it in a medium that most associate with high art. I also feel that it reflects our time and society. If I see a picture I want to use, I will contact the picture's owner and ask if they mind. I have yet to be turned down and most seem quite flattered by the notion.

    Finally, I will draw out a sketch on the substrate I will be working on and then the painting fun begins.

    My work is based in realism while also having expressionistic tendencies. I seek to have artistic precision without sacrificing the emotions in my pieces and causing them to feel sterile.​​

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    Nick Walters Photo