Jackson Hole Airport

Nelson is working on some schematics for the 20 foot long mural in the Jackson Hole Airport. Here are some of the drawings. He will work with the client sometimes through several revisions before they are both happy with the way the project is moving.

The figures on the left bring scale to the painting on the right

A lot of research goes into these projects.

Several draft overlays will often times combine several different poses.

Put modeling on the resume.

Over the years our children and their friends and now their spouses have modeled for Nelson. It sounds pretty glamourous unless he get an idea that he wants to explore on film in the dead of winter or when it's flame'n hot outside. Payday usually comes in the form of an afternoon behind the ski boat. Soon the grandchildren will be in the boots, the skirts, chaps, hats and gloves and another generation will be able to put modeling on their resume.

Here are some of our children helping him put together a shoot for a mural he is doing for the new Jackson Hole airport. He's really excited about this commission. It offers some unique challenges and he loves a good problem to solve. One of those challenges is how to frame and glass a piece that will be over twenty feet long.

Nelson has decided he is not a blogger at heart so I am taking over. Who is "I"? I'm Jeanne, Nelson's wife. You'll probably get more real information from me anyway.

A lot of people have ask what motivates Nelson's art. There is no one answer to that question but I can tell you that he has a great passion to create. He loves to take raw matierials and organize them ito something that makes others happy. Beyond his art he is a man who is very aware of people and what will bring them joy. I'll start posting a few pictures not only of what he is doing with his art but also what he does with his life.

Magazine Articles

The August 2009 AMERICAN ART COLLECTOR magazine has a two page feature of some of my fly fishing work. They are also publishing another article in their September WESTERN ART COLLECTOR an article on my cowboy art. Check it out.

TEXAS DUST STORM

I had a collector call me from Texas a while back and asked for a big painting. I sent him a sketch of a piece 32" x 64". He emailed me back and said he loved the sketch but reminded me that Texas was a BIG state and he wanted a BIG painting. So the finished piece turned out to be 84" x 44". It's called TEXAS DUST STORM.

Not long ago I spent a couple of days in Southeast Idaho fishing the famed Snake and Madison rivers. This painting was inspired by a late evening I spent alone fishing Box Canyon. It took me about an hour and a half to figure out what they were hitting. The secrete fly turned out to be a red Copper John bead head - WHAMO!!!!!!

Welcome!

Blogging is a new tool for me and I’m excited to dive in and see what happens. My wife Jeanne and I live in Sandpoint, Idaho (50 south of the Canadian boarder). Here, on our little farm, we raised our seven incredible children, several cats, dogs, sheep, cows…etc. It’s been a great place to live, raise kids, fish, hike, fix fences, garden…and of course paint. My studio is a remodeled tractor shed with great natural light and an incredible view of Shwitzer Mountain ski resort. We love the mountains, rivers, lakes, and the people here. Today was a good example of why we love living here: My good friend Ken picked me up at 10:00 am and we headed for a little fishing on the Clark Fork River thirty minutes from the house. You ask: Did you catch anything? Never ask a true fisherman that question…but it was nice to get out.