After a career as an illustrator with clients in the recording and movie industries, California artist Craig Nelson transitioned into gallery art full time.
Nelson has a lively, painterly approach in his paintings of landscapes, towns and portraits. Some of his recurring subjects include workers in vinyards, the narrow streets and canals of Italian towns, New York City, fishing boats, the California coast and patrons in cafes.
His palette is often high chroma, but at times subdued. He enjoys exploring the play of light and contrasts in value between foreground and background elements.
Nelson graduated form the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and retuned to teach there. He is currently Director of Fine Art, Drawing and Painting at Academy of Art College in San Francisco.
In addition he teaches occasional figurative and plein air workshops and has series of instructional videos and a book, 60 Minutes to Better Painting: Improve Your Skills in Oil and Acrylic.
