Edward Nichols | Artist Story


story_EdwardNichols

 

“I have painted in Kansas, Maine, New York City, California and southern Louisiana, but it is in Deep South Texas that I have spent most of my life. I can drive a hour and a half east to the Gulf Coast or an hour and a half west to arid hill country. Where I live, there are subtropical orange groves, palm, avocado and mango trees which make up a lush landscape. Go four miles south, and we are at the Rio Grande River and Mexico. This area is called the Lower Rio Grande Valley. On the map it looks like a part of Texas, but in actuality it is more like a state of mind that is both Texas and Mexico.

I enjoy landscape painting, and this gives me ample inspiration. However, I also am delighted by Mexican folk art. The whimsy, joy and color of folk art is on abundant display in our home and studios and inspires many of my works. I was trained as a landscape realist but have a great love of abstract expressionism. I also like Biblical themes and enjoy placing them into local landscapes.

Painting to me is about being very quiet and centered and then waiting to see what is revealed through drawing visual thoughts and listening to hear/see the next one. My position is that each of us is a perfect spiritual reflection of an infinite Mind, infinite Love, and this is what fills us with awe and inspiration. This is what we have to share with each other. Each one of us is doing this in some way; mine just happens to be painting, which I enjoy enormously. I hope you derive as much pleasure in viewing these works as I have experienced in painting them.”