Art Of R. Wade Nelson

Beaver Creek, Montana #17

2011-01-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

A close-up, Mullan Weed growing in the gravel by the side of the road. An invasive weed, but pretty interesting, and must do something good. Has a nice shape and almost no colour, and thrives in rough places, I like it. Acrylic latex on illustration board 22" x 28"

Beaver Creek, Montana #15

2011-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

An old store, a barn, trees planted 100 years ago, and a house back near the woods. This was to be an important town on the trade route over the Bitteroot Mountains, but time and roads bypassed it and now its an odd collection of buildings shinning in the setting sun at the foot of Flatiron Ridge, near Beaver creek. I tried to leave open space to make the busy space more important. who knows, did it work? Acrylic latex on illustration board (photographed in the setting sun) 22" x 28"

Beaver Creek, Montana #14

2011-01-20T09:37:00.000-08:00

Continuing with the exploration of my everyday in search of interesting stuff. A long view through the shadows into the sunlight. Is that important? How should I feel? I continue to try to capture the wind, and smell, and insects flying, and the cool-hot feel of going from shade to sun,,,,in the late summer. Acrylic latex on illustration board 22" x 28"

Beaver Creek, Montana #10

2011-01-16T15:52:00.000-08:00

In the early days, Diamond Match Company paid people to take up homesteads on the valley floor so they could clear cut the timber. Today the valley is a checkerboard of blocks of timber and open fields.. Acrylic latex on illustration board @@" x 28"

Beaver Creek, Montana #11

2011-01-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

Where the valley meets the mountan, a road curves away, patterns and shadows are weaving a complex picture from an otherwise ordinary scene.Warm afternoon, a fly buzzes, far away a bird calls.... Acrylic latex on illustration board 22" x 28"

Oil Patch #2

2010-12-19T11:42:00.000-08:00

Do artists seek interest in the ordinary, or do they make ordinary things interesting? Acrylic latex on illustration board 22"x28"

Beaver Creek, Montana #5

2010-12-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

When the Larch turn colour, it is a magical time of year,,,,,everything glows. Love working the low horizon, makes sky important (almost every artist who works illusionistic,forgets the SKY) Acrylic latex on illustration board 22"x28"

Beaver Creek, Montana #6

2010-12-05T10:16:00.000-08:00

Actually not Beaver Creek, but very close, a deep look at a coming storm. Acrylic latex on illustration board 22"x28".

Beaver Creek, Montana #4

2010-12-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

OK< here is the plan, try and create the illusion of sunlight on cured grasses, ferns, and fence posts. Make it rather intense and warm, late afternoonish...... Oh, and make the fence posts "heroic" worthy of our attention and study.,,, and do it with cheap house painting brush, school quality brushes, and house paint on illustration cardboard,,,,oh, and make it look like a million bucks! 22" x 28" acrylic latex on illustration board.

Beaver Creek, Montana #3

2010-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

An effort to capture atmosphere......did it work? I worry that I don't expect my art to solve social issues, or present as anti-beauty,,,,,, but for now am happy to develop skills and illusions. 22" x 28" acrylic latex on illustration board.

Beaver Creek, Montana #2

2010-12-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

A small series this month, working on issues of depth and atmospheric impression, things that make a painting an illusion. And a recreation of mood and feeling, an IMPRESSION if you will.... acrylic latex on illustration board 22" x 28"

CAr parts #34

2010-11-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

As America's painter of headlights, I especially enjoy this t-bird. I had no problem compressing it to fit the format! Glow on 6 volt! acrylic latex on illustration board 22" x 28"

Car Parts #28

2010-11-20T09:09:00.000-08:00

Not really a car, but in the day they made trucks sooooo cool with lots of jet-age chrome! Remember those tiny chrome cake decoration balls? I always worried that they would chrome my insides when I ate them. Maybe that's where this facination for shinny stuff comes from. acrylic latex on illustration baord 22" x 28"

Car Parts #29

2010-11-20T09:02:00.000-08:00

The more I work in this series, the more I have to ask myself, "What was the idea behind those bumper cones?" Acrylic lates on illustration board 22" x 28"

Car Parts #12

2010-11-12T18:03:00.000-08:00

I have in the past few weeks painted 24 images in the series "Car Parts" to go with the remaining 4 or 5 paintings in this series from a year or so ago. I have destroyed 9 of the original paintings (by fire), having moved - on in style etc. Will in a few days paint more painting to be able to assemble a show ( of 24 ) from the remaining paintings to submit to galleries. You see, I have 24 frames, well, it is complicated. Those 24 frames are scheduled to hold shows at Museums in 2012, am trying to find venues untill then. In this series, I really take myself to a clinic on the reflective surfaces, and cropping images to the very minimum! Color is emotional, I play with perspective and proportion while concentrating on value and surface. At the end of the day, I still let the paint be PAINT! Run, drip, splat! Big brushes, bold marks! What great fun! So what a car should not look like........

Car Parts #11

2010-11-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

How can you not love this face, what a reflection on their time, the "space age" and jet powered future, in chrome! The challange here was to trancend the very "carness" of the old Stud. , and make it fly! 22" x 28" acrylic latex on illustration board.

Car Parts #20

2010-11-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

I am from now on, the self proclaimed "American Painter of Head Lights!" It is my pleasure to transport you back to the era of the amber glow of 6 volt lights, and the age of chrome! Let the LEGEND start here. I may end up with print shops in malls across the country! I so very enjoy the challange of reflective surfaces, and capturing the "whole" with the "least" 22" x 28" acrylic latex on illustration board.

Car Parts #25

2010-11-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

Unusual angle, tried hard to capture the organic feel of the chrome, love lipstick red, nice colour for a car. 22" x 28" acrylic latex on illustration board.

Windpower #2

2010-10-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love the mountains as an artist, but this "tipped" flat land with nothing but sky has great appeal. Big country, the works of man seem small and frail. 18 x 24 latex acrylic on canvas.

Windpower #1

2010-10-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

Just returned from a trip across the southern States. Fell in love with the open pan-handle country of Texas. This is from a photo I made of a wind machine north of Amarillo. 18 x 24 latex acrylic on canvas. Storm, coming or going?

canyon #3

2010-10-07T08:29:00.000-07:00

A small series of paintings resulted from a a photo expedition into the canyon of Prospect Creek, just above the mouth where it meets the Clark's Fork of the Colombia. I find a challenge in trying to capture the Movement of the water, and the light and shadow play on the the rocks. While at the same time, allowing paint to be free to be paint. An illusion for sure, but at the end of the day, just paint on canvas, recording the movement of the painter. Please read on many levels.

Canyon #2

2010-10-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Late spring in Prospect Creek, and I'm crawling around and over these wet rocks down in the canyon to take photos. Lived to paint again another day! 18 x 24 canvas with latex arcylic. A feeling of light and shadow? cool and warm?

canyon #1

2010-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:00

acrylic latex on canvas, 18 x 24. trying hard to capture "time and place" while still letting paint be paint. Do more with fewer strokes.

Montana Elevator #56

2010-09-01T19:03:00.000-07:00

Back to the Montana Elevator series, this one acrylic latex on 18" x 24" canvas, museum edge. Have plans to submit this painting for the Yellowstone Annual Art Auction.

canvas tepee

2010-09-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

I may be the last artist in Montana to paint a tepee, but I resisted for years untill they put some up in the park next door over the 4th of July. I don't pretend to live in one, be a native American, or wish to "rob" others of their culture. It's just a cool shape to work with, nice morning light. Acrylic latex on canvas 18" x 24"

Happy Accident

2010-08-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

After completing this small series of the backyard, I noticed that when you put the water horizon lines together, they make one BIG painting! Acrylic Latex on Canvas.

Down River

2010-08-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

Acrylic Latex on canvas 12 x 18 Looking from my studio down the Clark's Fork of the Columbia River. The morning presented a great cloud-scape and the water was so still.

Up River

2010-08-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Acrylic on canvas 18 x 24 Looking up river from my studio here on the Clark's Fork of the Colombia River.

Sunny has her likeness done

2010-07-28T16:52:00.000-07:00

Our dog, Sunny, sat for a few photos, from which I made this portrate. It was practice for a series (I just bought 30 canvases) about the dogs and cats at the local shelter. Am excited to see how that goes! Acrylic latex on 18 x 24 museum edge canvas.

Island Park # 25

2010-07-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, you have to get close up to see all that your subject is about. Everything about the Island, is here in this intimate scene, rock, tree, sunshine, growth, and wind. Acrylic Latex on illustration board. 22 x 28"

Island Park, the other side

2010-07-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

This is from the far bank, across the high bridge from Island Park, but still part of that series. Acrylic Latex on illistration board.

Fun Run Tee Shirt

2010-07-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

When not painting or birdhousing, I sometimes do graphics for worthy causes. This was one of those. A funny design of a fireman chasing a fire, they used to call firemen "smoke chasers" back in the day

Purple Pomegranate Gallery

2010-07-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

Wonderful opening last night at the Purple Pomegranate Gallery in Whitfish, Mt. for my "Sunday in the Park" series on Glacier National Park. Good comments, old friends, and a nice drive up and back. Show is up till the end of July, '10.

Plein Air, Sandpiper Gallery

2010-07-02T10:55:00.000-07:00

A week ago 38 artists drove out across the Blackfoot Indian Reservation to Plein Air their impressions of this place. I found this wonderful old truck in Camas, asked the owner if I could paint it (he said NO, 'cuz he liked the color it was), but then said yes to a Picture of it! What a great day!

Trailer House Birdhouses

2010-07-02T10:46:00.000-07:00

This one's mine she seems to be saying! She actually moved in and is raising a family ...... will have to sell that one as "used" at the end of the summer!

Trailer house Birdhouses

2010-07-02T10:41:00.000-07:00

For the 5th summer I have a display of trailer house birdhouses up in the front yard. Selling better this summer than last, will have to make more I think. Enjoy meeting people as they pick out their new home!

Island Park #20

2010-07-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Such a wet spring, the Clark's Fork of the Columbia River is running high..... and the "small" dam at the former Thompson Falls, is spilling full out.

Island Park #17

2010-07-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Sumi-e like marks make trees.

ISLAND PARK 16

2010-06-15T05:01:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on illustration board, 22 x 28". The sun was just right, the path curved away,,,, an invitation?

ISLAND PARK 11

2010-06-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

ISLAND PARK 8

2010-06-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

Latex acrylic on illustration board, 22 x 28" So many close up views on the island, rock and tree, no water or sky.

ISLAND PARK #3

2010-05-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from China, I find myself very interested in combining words and images. I do this by re-using cardboard boxes as painting supports. As I paint in a very expressive manner, I am trying to incorporate the printed words on the box. mystery or confusion. House paint of pre-used cardboard. 22 x 28 inches.

ISLAND PARK #2

2010-05-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

I reserve the right to be expressive with paint, and mindful of the "history" of the support I am painting on.

ISLAND PARK #1

2010-05-24T10:44:00.001-07:00

Back to my roots, house paint on used cardboard, 22 x 28 inches. Island Park is all rocks and trees, I love the trees.

FLY FISHING MONTANA #1

2010-04-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

Early spring, fine days got me thinking of fly fishing. A small series resulted, maybe more later. This image is of a creel, no one used them any more as no one keeps trout to eat any more. I do, from high mountain lakes an afternoon of fishing and I will keep 2 for my wife and I for dinner, in the creel, full of meadow grass and cool air and the fly box. Acylic latex on illustration board.

FLY FISHING MONTANA #4

2010-04-05T15:36:00.000-07:00

If you do it right, the fly will float in the air and land gently on the water, and FLOAT! If not, it will hit the water with a smack, and drive the trout away. Acrylic latex on illustration board about 18" x 24"

FLY FISHING MONTANA #5

2010-04-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

acrylic latex on illustration board. What does a cast fly look like as it travels through the air? This?

ABOUT TOWN #10

2010-03-29T09:37:00.000-07:00

So far I have 16 new paintings "About Town", studio created from photos I took "about town". Like most small Montana towns, ours is informed by the press of the natural world on all our borders. A small clip of civilization surrounded by wilderness. This is a view of the street and bridge leading out onto the Rock Island in the middle of the Clark's Fork River and the original Thompson Falls. Acrylic latex on illustration board, all about 16" x 24".

ABOUT TOWN #14

2010-03-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on illustratio board. A view of the Farmer's co-op gas station at the East end of town.

ABOUT TOWN #4

2010-03-29T09:17:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on illustration board. A view of the river bank about mid-town. The river is very much a part of our city, forming the boundry to the South.

ABOUT TOWN #3

2010-03-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on illustration board. I bought several quarts of unclaimed paint for a bargan and these new colors, a blue, purple, and a warm yellow are very much part of these new paintings! This is a view up river at the East end of Town.

ABOUT TOWN #2

2010-03-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on illustration board. A view of Wild Goose Landing Park

Montana Elevator #41

2010-02-24T13:28:00.000-08:00

All calm and centered, trying for a sense of quiet.

Montana Elevator #42

2010-02-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

All finished with this series, for now. Have 23 paintings under glass, ready to ship out, out of 43 created. Two paintings are at the Yellowston Art Museum for their annual auction. I have over 130 photos to work with, but for now, I am thinking I will spend time with the Car Parts series. Have sent cd's of images out to several galleries and museums, just looking for a home for them now.

Montana Elevator #39

2010-02-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Trying to create a sense of place and time w/o actually showing the place and only hinting at the time.

Montana Elevator #38

2010-02-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

Acrylic latex on illustration board. I trie to make this image bigger thatn the paper.

MONTANA ELEVATOR #32

2010-01-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

Did alot of work over the holidays, these are a few pieces from late December. In the Elevator series, I had been very up close, now in these paintings, I step back and see the country side, put the works of man in context. Montana is sooo big, our works so small , but there none the less. Continue to enjoy the flow and feel of house paint, more color, but still very interested in value and shade. How do you paint the rain? Big brushes!!!!! Acrylic latex on illustration board 22 x 28"

MONTANA ELEVATOR #31

2010-01-06T13:59:00.000-08:00

The works of man seem so small when put out on the high plains along side the great Missouri River, Even these great castles of elevators. What a big place Montana is, it takes my breath away! Acrylic Latex on illustration board 22 x 28"

MONTANA ELEVATOR #29

2010-01-06T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is a view of the Rocky Mountain Front, that special place where the mountains meet the plains. Man's hand is evident in the fore and middle ground, but wilderness shows up in the background. Food for the body and food for the soul. Acrylic latex on illustration board. 22 x 28"

Car Parts #9

2010-01-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

If you know your cars, you will know what this is. Too obvious? Acrylic latex on illustration board. 22 x 28"

Car Parts #8

2010-01-06T13:37:00.000-08:00

House paint ( acrylic latex) on illustration board 22 x 28 inches.

Montana Elevator #28

2009-12-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

Painted all the month of November, these are a few of the new pieces. Have many more ideas for "car parts" and "montana elevators". I continue to investigate the possibilities of the media(house Paint), but even though I have bought 33 new canvases, I can't yet bring myself to use them in the carefree way I do illustration board.

Montana Elevator #15

2009-12-04T13:59:00.000-08:00

A small (14"x22") piece with the ambition to say that "a couple of small ivory dabs could be elevators from a long way away". Is place and space as important as implied subject? Should there be "coffee rings" as in the other paintings? house paint thrown, brushed, dripped and rubbed on illustration board.

Montana Elevator #18

2009-12-04T13:50:00.000-08:00

Really high horizon. In Japan I learned that what you leave basicly alone is as important as what you work on intently. I tried to show that here in the "empty" space in the foreground, leading up to the elevator in the distance. house paint applies by brush, stick, and drip to illustration board.

Montana Elevator #25

2009-12-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

This changes everything, I have for a LONG time used my warm color scheme as the bases of my paintings. This piece uses Basalt and Ivory in a "monochromatic" fashion. A mood? A trick? I don't really know yet. house paint, 22"x28"

Montana Elevator #24

2009-12-04T13:35:00.000-08:00

A high horizon and "sharp" brush marks creates what I think is an almost "other worldly" feeling. house paint, 22"x28"

Montana Elevator #21

2009-12-04T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is a small piece (12 x 16) that I hope reduces the image almost to color-field, while retaining the illusion of great mass and size. house paint again.

Montana Elevator # 17

2009-12-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

house paint on illustration board. Trying real hard to create a sense of space (depth) wo using diagonals, ie. making little stuff real big.

Montana Elevator #16

2009-12-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

house paint on illustration board 22" x 28" I continue to "work" the surface while trying to keep "fresh"(no re-dues).

Car Parts #7

2009-12-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

Trying to "get in closer" house paint on illustration board 22" x 28"

Car Parts #5

2009-12-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

house paint on illustration boards 22" x 28"

Car Parts #1

2009-10-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is the start of another (I hope) long series of paintings. In this group, I will be focusing in, cropping, on an odd selection of interesting automobiles. I believe that the part should be as interesting as the whole. As has become my method, I will work in house paint on a variety of surfaces (I have ordered 35 frameless canvases) feeling free to "play" with proportion and color. In a very formalist way, I hope to create interesting designs and objects that may stand independant of the image. Walking a fine line between abstraction and realism, taking from my experience with art in Japan.

Car parts #3

2009-10-31T16:02:00.000-07:00

acrylic latex on illustration board, 22" x 28"

Car Parts #2

2009-10-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

22" x 28" illustration board painted with acrylic latex.

Car Parts #4

2009-10-31T15:49:00.000-07:00

22" x 28" illustration board painted with latex acrylic

Elevator #11, Belt

2009-10-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

Acrylic Latex on Illustration board 22 x 28

Scotchman Peaks Wilderness paint-out

2009-09-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

These are the paintings from this weekend's trip to Hope, Idaho and the Scotchman Peak Wilderness area. The paintout , and the resulting art show are to raise money to promote the creation of this wilderness area on the Montana-Idaho border. Was a great couple of days, met some great and talanted artists, and enjoyed the solitude of painting on the "edge of the wild country" The show will be up in a gallery in Hope till after Christmas. All paintings are acrylic latex on masonite wood panel.

MONTANA ELEVATOR #9

2009-09-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on recycled paper ( actually, the paper is 3' x 50' rolls used to compost in the garden with. very iffy stuff, but nice surface, How long will it last?) 24" x 36"

MONTANA ELEVATOR #10

2009-09-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Butler buildings actually, but I will call them elevators. acrylic latex on canvas 16 " x 20"

ELEVATOR #7

2009-09-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

This is the production of a couple of days in the studio, working on the Montana Elevator series. I am expierimenting with many grounds, some common, some expensive to see how the paint reacts and allows itself to be worked. This piece is acrylic latex on post consumer paper. I try to capture the " larger-than-life" feel of these structures and how they appear to be as castles in the wheat fields. More will follow

ELEVATOR #6

2009-09-15T17:55:00.000-07:00

Acrylic Latex on canvas , 16" x 20"

ELEVATOR #5

2009-09-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on clay coat illustration board, 6 ply 22" x 28"

ELEVATOR #2

2009-09-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on recycled paper 24" x 36"

ELEVATOR #3

2009-09-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Acrylic latex on Tivec paper 24" x 36"

ELEVATOR #4

2009-09-15T17:31:00.000-07:00

Acrylic laytex on canvas, 16" x 20"

Thompson River, summer

2009-08-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

The river slows, and the the air gets heavy with the heat in late summer. House paint on illustration board, 12" x 18".

Elevator #1

2009-08-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

This is the first in a long series on grain elevators of Central Montana. House paint on illustration board, 12" x 18".

Sunny #2

2009-08-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Sunny walks down the trail at the cabin in (what else) the sunshine. House paint on board

Sunny #One

2009-07-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

New dog, Sunny has just had her first portrait done. House paint on masonite board. She is shy, but will try to "capture" her face another time, for now, just looking for bugs.

Back Yard Birds #1

2009-06-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Early summer and the back yard is full of birds, singing and working from early morning to night. Quite a variety too, here are three. 8" x 10", house paint on board

Back Yard Birds #2

2009-06-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

8" x 10", house paint on board

Back Yard Birds #3

2009-06-23T13:19:00.000-07:00

8" x 10", house paint on board

Dry Fly #4

2009-06-05T13:44:00.000-07:00

House paint on masonite. 8" x 10" I belive fish fear me, with good reason.

Dry Fly #3

2009-06-05T13:38:00.000-07:00

House paint on masonite. 8" x 10"

Dry Fly #2

2009-06-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

House paint on masonite. 8" x 10"

Dry Fly #1

2009-06-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

The water is clearing and falling, the fishing will be good soon. As I went through my fly box, I realized they would make excellent subjects for paintings. House paint on masonite 8" x 10"

Bull Lake #1

2009-05-28T15:00:00.000-07:00

Two days of camping and painting on Bull Lake in NW Montana and out of may be 9 attempts, I came away with 4 or 5 passable paintings. This is watercolor 8" x 11" using some "large" hair brushes I bought in Japan several years ago. They keep me from painting too tight!!!

Bull Lake #2

2009-05-28T14:53:00.000-07:00

Plein air watercolor of Bull Lake in NW Montana, 8" x 11" . Our first get away of the summer!

Bull Lake #3

2009-05-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Plein air watercolor, 8" x 11" of Bull Lake in NW Montana

plein air paintings from the Butte paint out

2009-05-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

These are my paintings from our "paint out" last week end in Butte. There will be an invitational show at the Main Stope Gallery in July of paintings from this paint out.