Bold Visual Impact

Inspiration arises from anything colourful, striking & natural. (Sharp light on a field of yellow; brightly coloured wildflowers in a sea of green, thunderclouds over a glistening glacier.) Many ideas spring from one of my passions, extensive travel, . Every continent has felt my footstep – some on several occasions.  Not only do we (my wife & I) enjoy exotic locations, e.g. Costa Rican rain forests, Machu Picchu etc., but also many galleries such as the outstanding Louisiana Museum near Copenhagen & the Hermitage in St. Petersburg.  Art I admire & reference includes works by Chagall (for his flighty imagination), Gaughin (brilliant use of colour), David Daniels & Eric Wiegardt (contemporary US artists for their bold & loose styles.)

Great White Rising © John Nussbaum

Much time has been spent studying colour theory, particularly the work of Hillary Page & Nita Leland; & colour is the chief element I employ to introduce emotion into my paintings.

Harmony © John Nussbaum

Reverse masking is also employed (i.e. multiple stages of masking fluid application).  This creates an energetic dynamic while holding the composition together harmoniously.  It is one of the reasons why buyers tell me they see something new every time they view my paintings.  Finally my watercolours are not framed under glass which produces glare & reflection.  Instead, they are mounted onto canvases & archival varnish is applied for complete protection.  The result is full, bold, visual impact.

Paradise Found © John Nussbaum

Image Credits

All Images Are © John Nussbaum

John Nussbaum Artist Bio

John Nussbaum

John is a full time artist living in Toronto. He is Past President of North York Visual Artists & a member of the Willowdale Group of Artists & North Toronto Group of Artists. In 2009 he was elected a Signature Member of the Toronto Watercolour Society. The sharp light & lush tropical vegetation of South Africa framed John’s early artistic influences. After majoring in Art & Art History at Durban High School he pursued further study at Natal Technical College & privately with two Master Instructors. An eighteen month working trip to Europe saw John studying the techniques of both classical & modern artists in leading museums & galleries. Subsequent travels to the Far East added to the wellspring of inspiration. To further develop his knowledge & technique he attended courses at Ontario College of Art & Design & privately with leading Toronto artist/instructors. He enrolled in advanced programmes in the United States led by well-known watercolourists David Daniels & Skip Lawrence at the Hudson River Valley School Of Art, Greenville, NY. John is an award winning artist who participates in many exhibitions. His paintings, admired for their spontaneous & exuberant style, grace collections in Canada, United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Israel & South Africa.

Blog / Website: John Nussbaum Fine Art

Recent Guest Artist Articles:

• "Listen, I Have Something To Tell You"
• All The Art I Will Never Make
• From My Sketchbook
• When Machines Dream
• Why Did A Bored Call Center Rep Turn Her Art into TikTok Puzzles