Contemporary realism portrait - Nancy Boren artist
Nancy Boren, "Echoes Along the Slipstream," 2016, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in.

There is a lot of superb contemporary realism being made these days; this article by Allison Malafronte shines light on a gifted individual:

NANCY BOREN (b. 1955) began her journey to becoming a painter as she sat beside her father, the artist James Boren, in the Grand Canyon and worked on her first watercolor at the age of 12. Growing up in the presence of a professional painter, Boren developed a love of beauty, color, and light and ultimately earned a B.F.A. from Abilene Christian University with a focus on both painting and printmaking.

Today Boren is recognized for her oil paintings, specifically ones depicting figures in the landscape. Although the influence of such past masters as John Singer Sargent, Anders Zorn, and Nikolai Fechin is evident in her palette and compositions, she is also clearly influenced by the Golden Age of American Illustration. Her paintings suggest her in-depth study of Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth, and Frederic Remington, among others.

Boren’s particular strength lies in depicting ethereal moments in nature with an emphasis on how the figure feels and relates to his or her surroundings. In these paintings, it’s as though we are viewing a still from a beautiful passage of cinematography: the season, light, and perspective of the scene are in perfect sync with the subject’s story.

Boren is also intrigued by the moodier and more mysterious side of storytelling, as seen in paintings such as in the Slipstream series. “I enjoy creating images that contain another world,” she says. “Mystery, narrative, and magic are the goals in these types of works.” Delivering those elements alongside dreamy color, dynamic brushwork, and dramatic scale is one of several reasons that paintings such as “Echoes along the Slipstream” capture viewers’ imagination.

This article was originally published in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine (March/April 2018).

Related Article by Nancy Boren > Contemporary Oil Painting: A Visual Treasure Hunt (includes her step-by-step painting process)

Learn more about painting Light, Motion, and Drama in this new art video workshop:

About Nancy Boren:
Nancy is a second-generation painter, following her famous artist father, James Boren. From an early age Nancy was immersed in the world of art making and oil painting. Nancy’s first painting, a watercolor, was done at age 12 while she sat next to her father as he painted at the Grand Canyon. She received a bachelor of fine arts from Abilene Christian Academy in Texas, and she cites the influence of notable traditional painters such as Sargent, Sorolla, and Fechin.

Her paintings have received major awards and recognition throughout the U.S. She is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society (Best of Show 2018), Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America (Bronze Medal 2016), Signature Member of the Outdoor Painters Society, Master Signature Member of American Women Artists (Gold Medal 2015, 2014), and a member of the Portrait Society of America. She recently released the art video workshop “Light, Motion, and Drama with Nancy Boren” through Liliedahl Video Productions.

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