I am a big believer in the "You are there" principal promoted by my theologian friend Dr. Richard Davidson. The idea being that you can more thoroughly understand and enjoy the study of History if you allow your imagination to go back to that time, to see the sights, hear the sounds, even smell the smells, as if you are really there.

I have applied this principal to help create these scenes from the Biblical record. Maybe by immersing my own imagination into the sights sounds and smells of these moments, those who view these paintings can also be drawn into experiencing a bit of history in a new and meaningful way.

paintings shown:

"At the feet of Jesus"                                                                                                                

"The Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda"                                                                                                         

In the early 1990s I was honored to participate in the NASA art program. By invitation of NASA art director Bob Schulman, I was able to witness and artistically document various aspects of the Space Shuttle program, including Astronaut training, Shuttle launches and landings, Engine testing and early space station planning. Here are some of the paintings from that period. 

For years as I've worked in my studio, the long hours are eased by listening to audio books. Most have been American and British history and biographies. In recent years I have been fortunate to find clients who share my interest and have commissioned artworks inspired by history and particularly featuring men of great integrity, decency  and courage. Shown here are Abraham Lincoln, William Wilberforce and Sgt. Richard Kirkland. I hope to expand this collection in the coming years to include men and women who played important roles in our history and deserve always to be remembered.

I started my career as an Illustrator in the Chicago area after leaving The American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1983. Early work included Textbook art for Scott Foresman Publishing, McDougal and Latell, and World Book Encyclopedia. There were many magazine and book assignments for Christianity Today, Tyndale House, Campus Life, Christian Reader, Focus on the Family, Billy Graham, Ranger Rick Magazine, Children's Press, etc.

There were hundreds of Illustrations created in my first ten years but most were for very specific articles or stories and don't have the individual appeal to stand on their own. However there were some that I was pleased enough with to post on this page.

The portrait of young Princess Anne has particular meaning for me, since it was created one night while I was still in art school. It was my first attempt at a Gouache Wash, a "subtractive technique" where paint is laid down over a drawing and the light areas subtracted with a brush and water. Earlier that day I witnessed a demonstration of the Gouache wash by one of my favorite Illustrators; Thomas Blackshear II. The technique was to have a profound effect on much of my work for years to come. It also resulted in a charming little portrait of a very royal little girl.

The black and white pencil drawing is the foundation of most of my paintings. They allow me to plan out the composition, arrange patterns of light and dark and refinine details before committing to the color canvas.

Black and white studies have a beauty of their own which I sometimes prefer over the full color version. 

When I left the American Academy of Art in 1983 my favorite medium, by far, was that of watercolors. Not that I had mastered any medium at the time, but I was one of the very fortunate students to have Irving Shapiro for a watercolor instructor.

Mr. Shapiro was the president of The American Academy of Art at that time. He was also a very fine watercolorist. If there was one thing he excelled at even more then his watercolor ability, it was his ability to teach it, something he did with class and professionalism that was unsurpassed.

To have one of your efforts praised by Mr. Shapiro and hung in the halls for all art students to see was a rare and therefore highly valued thing. It rarely ever happened to me. One day I decided to try and set aside all of my painterly inhibitions. In the classroom, with other students looking over my shoulder, (another inhibition overcome) I took about 90 minutes to paint this splashy depiction of a Detroit Tiger baseball player. When it came up in front of Mr. Shapiro for critique a few days later, he just smiled very broadly and shook his head as he said "Nathan, You really got  it this time!" 

The painting was published later that year in Mr. Shapiro's watercolor instruction book for Watson Guptill Publishing and it hung on the walls of the American Academy for the next 25 years until I asked if I could have it back, which they very kindly agreed to do.

Several years ago I took a trip to Colorado and Wyoming to visit several ranches and photograph cowboys at work during the round-up. I came back with enough reference material and memories to keep me busy for several years of painting. Needless to say, I don't have several years available, but I did squeeze in time to do five watercolors, shown here. I hope to do many more as time allows.

Another artist once said; "When I retire, I plan to take up painting!" Hah! Yup That's gonna be me!  Westerns, Wildlife, Nature, Landscapes... it all sounds good to me!

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Typi non habent claritatem insitam; est usus legentis in iis qui facit eorum claritatem. Investigationes demonstraverunt lectores legere me lius quod ii legunt saepius. Claritas est etiam processus dynamicus, qui sequitur mutationem consuetudium lectorum. Mirum est notare quam littera gothica, quam nunc putamus parum claram, anteposuerit litterarum formas humanitatis per seacula quarta decima et quinta decima. Eodem modo typi, qui nunc nobis videntur parum clari, fiant sollemnes in futurum.