ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I consider myself a figurative painter; my style incorporates both closely-observed detail and atmospheric brushwork. I temper the hardness of realism with the softness of multiple transparent layers of paint, with results that are precise and ethereal, cerebral and moody.
My process involves the use of existing photographic references, those selected from my family collection and those I have found elsewhere. I typically work with mundane snapshots, rather than relying on professional photography. Either way, I select images which speak to me on both a conscious and subconscious level, intellectually and intuitively. Making art from existing photographs requires that I re-envision my sources rather than just copying them, so problem-solving is crucial to my process.
Themes of my work include people experiencing complex emotions; the passage of time; and images that evoke collective memories. As a figurative painter, I am interested in technical accuracy, but I am equally concerned with psychological depth.
Other important elements of my work include luminosity of lighting and thin layers of subtle color.
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About the artist
I live in the east San Francisco Bay Area. I can be reached at nicole@nicolereader.com.