Marine Art at Skipjack: Featuring Impressionist Marine Paintings by Sandy Nelson

 

"Sailing the Bay" by Sandy Nelson. oil on panel, 12x16

"Sailing the Bay" by Sandy Nelson. oil on panel, 12x16

 "A beautiful summer day on the Chesapeake Bay is the perfect backdrop for a painting. I never cease to be amazed, and a little bit jealous, at the number of boats out enjoying the freedom of sailing. Often I try to feel the wind in the sails and the joy of feeling the open water when I'm painting."

 Featuring Impressionist Marine Art by North Carolina artist Sandy Nelson

Sandy Nelson's influences in her art are as diverse as the great Spanish, Russian and French impressionists to a childhood amid the dark hills of eastern Kentucky. In the latter she found a sincere appreciation for the beauty of the world around her, in the former, inspiration to express it. Sandy's work is not edgy nor avant-garde; it doesn’t follow fads or trends – it is simply truth, as she perceive it. That is what she hopes the viewer takes away with them.

The subjects of her painting may be a cloud, a boat, a figure or bowl of fruit – one is as monumental as another. The paintings are memories of a moment in time, a representation of her emotions and ideas, which is transferred to the viewer. In her studio she live with these words, which remind her that it is truly a gift to be an artist.

"Summerwind" by Sandy Nelson, oil on canvas measuring 24 X 36 inches.

"Summerwind" by Sandy Nelson, oil on canvas measuring 24 X 36 inches.

"In mid-summer, the winds beckon sailors to sail the marshes and intracoastal waters. A lazy afternoon is all that's needed to beckon participants out onto the water of the intracoastals"

"I believe in Michelangelo, Velasquez and Rembrandt; in the might of design, the mystery of color, the redemption of all things by Beauty everlasting and the message of art that has made these hands blessed: Amen. Amen." Bernard Shaw.

Most of Sandy Nelson's works were created in the beautiful Outer Banks of North Carolina, her home away from home and in the coastal area of Wilmington and the Cape Fear which stretches along the coast to South Carolina.

“Weekend Sailing”  by Sandy Nelson. Oil on panel measuring 12x16 inches.

“Weekend Sailing”  by Sandy Nelson. Oil on panel measuring 12x16 inches.

"To me, boats, especially sailboats, are floating sculpture. I love the way they move over the water and punctuate the sky, the way the sails reflect color and move with the wind. I imagine the sailors on them have a different way of enjoying them. What a way to spend a weekend!"

She maintains her studio in Leland, NC but travels extensively to paint. She is a member of ASOPA, the New Mexico Pastel Society, Pastel Society of the Southwest, Midwest Pastel Society and Women Artists of the West.

Biography: Sandy Nelson has been a professional artist for many years. She studied Fine Art and painting at the University of KY and the Scottsdale Art School. Her portraits and landscapes have been accepted to national juried competitions from Maine to California, many winning national awards. Her work is included in over 60 corporate and museum collections including those of Sam Walton, founder of Walmart and George Steinbrenner, owner of the NY Yankees. She was named one of the top 200 artists by the Artists Magazine and has been profiled in “The Rotarian” an international publication. One of Nelson's portraits was the cover of “Bench & Bar” magazine in 2007 and one of her marsh landscapes graced the cover of “Carolina Art” magazine in 2008.

You can preview Sandy Nelson's artwork by following this link here to Sandy Nelson on Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Galleries -Marine Art Gallery.  Sandy Nelson's marine paintings were also recently featured on Nautical Art Blogspot.