View Past Paintings, click Archives       Read Reviews, click Reviews

Artist's Statement:

Settling on a composition for one of my room interior paintings is a progressive process. I pick and choose the most interesting and necessary elements from an array of photographs, often adding items from my imagination. Light and dark is a primary focus of my painting with particular attention to brushstroke and gradation in the darkest areas. Though working from photographs with the aim of creating believable paintings, I strive to bring a quiet drama to everyday scenes. My paintings are never too photographic. In part, I aim to paint so that the content of the image is most compelling and how the painting was made is secondary. In a sense, the work exceeds the medium.      Nick Patten

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

      As Nick's reputation grows and the number of his collectors steadily rises, his work garners more & more attention.  His paintings have been the focus of an increasing number of written commentaries in praise of many aspects of his work ... from his technique & brushwork, his palette, his vision to his sensibilities, and integrity --- both personal and artistic. 

      These commentaries are published as reviews, notices, editorials, profiles, critiques and announcements appearing in a variety of formats from high-end regional magazines to national art publications and are found both in the press and on the Internet.  Even a cursory search of the Internet through Google or Yahoo for "Nick Patten, Artist" is illustrative of the increasing scope of his reputation as people from various backgrounds, with diverse interests find that his paintings truly resonate for them and are blogging about his work on their own websites.

      "Nick Patten, Interiors" at the Cape Museum of Art in Dennis, MA (7.18.09 ~ 8.23.09) was a milestone in his career.

     He's won numerous prizes in nationally juried shows such as the Gold Medal~Oil Painting Category at the prestigious Allied Artists of America Show in New York City.  According to the jurors: "Ultimately, Nick is able to strike a balance in his work, harnessing the bold contrasts of light and shadow to reveal a quiet drama."

    Nick's paintings have been placed as permanent works of art in such significant public and private collections as: the Cape Cod Museum of Art, the Mississippi Museum of Art, the Zimmerli Art Museum, the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library, Print Club of Albany, the Mohawk Paper Corporation, Rembrandt Graphic Arts.

    Recent articles ( go to the REVIEWS section on this site) rave about his work calling it  "immesurably nuanced",   referring to Nick as "an American Vermeer",  "a master of light and shadow" and declaring that "His virtuosic and dramatic treatment of lights and shadows,  his impeccable selection of subjects and his extraordinary technique at rendering his paintings has made Patten one of the most accomplished realists in the country."