If you find yourself with a weakness, attack it... don't develop a technique that avoids your weaknesses.
Nelson ShanksDramatic use of color, harmonious design, the interplay of light and shadow across a variety of textures, the portrayal of the figure and other subject matter that reflects the sophistication and beauty I find in nature - all presented from a unique point of view - can only be successfully achieved with a sound command of the painter's craft... history will determine how successful I have been.
Nelson ShanksPhotographs and reality are just night and day. In reality, the information is all there. A photograph is just kind of a hint.
Nelson ShanksA language not based on universal symbols or sensations is gibberish, a pitfall of modern art, no longer modern.
Nelson ShanksI think of music a lot when I paint. The theme of it to a degree is music. So instead of literally putting in music or literally putting in a musical instrument, I use only a hint of the instrument, but the brocaded pattern is like a line of Bach because of its order and the leaves going up are like passages from Vivaldi, and the emphasis on drapery is where the sound comes.
Nelson Shanks