Richard Nelson OPA
Rich is a portrait and gallery artist residing with his wife Kim in the mountains of North Carolina. As a Signature member of the Portrait Society of America and the Oil Painters of America. He also loves painting landscape, still life, and figurative gallery pieces, usually from life. He is endlessly fascinated by people, places, and things and considers it a privilege and a challenge to capture some aspect of their essence on canvas.
Nelson works toward “painterly realism”; good drawing and composition, rendered with strong natural color, in such a way that you can still “sense” or “feel” the paint. The effect of this process is that the subject begins to artfully reveal itself to the artist, and hopefully, the viewer.
The Nelsons are from Detroit, Michigan, where Rich earned his BFA from the College of Creative Studies in 1988. It was at CCS that he developed his love of painting, drawing, figurative art, and art history. Nelson has been working as a portrait and gallery artist, and occasional instructor since graduating.
“I strive to do museum quality work that will be around long after my subjects and I have left this world.”
In over 20 years as a professional artist Nelson has completed over 500 oil portraits, 1000 charcoal portraits, sold many gallery paintings, had a number of one-person shows, and won a number of awards. Here are some of the highlights:
2024 – David Lanik accepted into Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition
2024 – Granted Signature status by the Oil Painters of America (OPA)
2023 – Valerie accepted into Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition
2022 – Self Portrait accepted into Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition
2019 – Jim Jackson Certificate of Merit- Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition
2017 – Emelie accepted into Oil Painters of America Salon
2017 – Jodie Karr accepted into the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
2016 – Granted Signature status from the Portrait Society of America
2016 – Lily Outdoors accepted into Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition
2016 – Remy accepted into Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition
2015 – Merrion accepted into the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
2014 – Certificate of Excellence – Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition
2013 – Finalist – Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition
2012 – Certificate of Excellence – Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition
2012 – 1st Place- Commissioned Portraits- PSOA’s Member’s Only Competition
2010 – Finalist- Portrait/Figure Category of The Artist’s Magazine 27th Annual Art Competition
2009 – Kim accepted into the Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
2009 – 1st Place- Oil and Honorable Mention-Drawing- PSOA’s ‘Choose Your Medium’ Portrait Competition
2008 – 2nd Place- PSOA’s ?Outdoor’ Portrait Competition
2007 – Semifinalist In American Artist Magazine’s 70th Anniversary Competition
2007 – Honorable Mention – PSOA’s Children’s Portrait Competition
2006 – Honorable Mention – PSOA’s Self – Portrait Competition
2006 – 2nd Place and People’s Choice – PSOA’s Tri – State Competition
2005 – Certificate Of Merit – PSOA’s Annual Portrait Competition
2004 – Best Portfolio – PSOA’s Annual Conference
2003 – Best Portfolio – PSOA’s Annual Conference
2002 – Certificate of Merit – PSOA’s Annual Portrait Competition
2001 – Certificate of Merit – PSOA’s Annual Portrait Competition
Rich Nelson
828-817-3784