Meet Nell Bartlett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nell Bartlett.

Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Until I met a wonderful watercolor painter from England, I had no awareness of the joy in drawing and painting. It never occurred to me that emotions have color, that ideas can be expressed by the use of color, shape, light, and dark. I studied business in college, raised a family, worked as a Real Estate Broker for 25 years and dabbled in painting as a hobby, taking classes when I could.

My love of art changed when I enrolled in a watercolor workshop, in England, and learned to paint villages, churches, landscapes; all in wonderful transparent watercolor. I lived in France and England for a few years, painting the countryside and continued studies with Artists in both countries, but found that my observations did not always coincide with what others saw in the landscape. I didn’t always see trees as green, earth as brown and oceans and lakes as blue. I saw reflections, vivid colors and felt the temperature of the world around me. I was a thrill when I discovered that others appreciated my work and would buy my paintings. When I took a workshop in Abstract/Non-representational art, I found a new way to communicate through color and words.

I have studied with many nationally recognized masters in recent years and developed a style that is unique to me. It is exciting! Every painting has a story and an emotional connection.

Please tell us about your art.
When starting a non-representational painting, I like to use a phrase, often something in a song, a book or an article in the news. I commit the phrase to my sketchbook and select about five paint colors that represent the emotions from the phrase I have written. I paint in Mixed Medium, primarily water based. I love using mark makers such as crayon, pastels, pencils, water, alcohol, and fabric. My painting starts with random marks or grids on the paper, and from there I will quickly add a base color with highlights of the colors I have chosen. The base color will peak through the other layers of paint in the finished work and communicate the emotion of the painting. Often I am working on two or three paintings at a time. Some work takes weeks to finish. Others come quickly. That is the joy and pain of painting!

I love using line work often and always vibrant colors. I want the viewer to connect the title, so the marks I make with the paint are very important.

As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Most artists I know never feel “successful.” It is important to be disciplined and work on a consistent basis. Take classes, draw, keep a journal. I go to a figurative drawing group every week, and it keeps me inspired.

It is the next painting that keeps one humble! That is exactly what is essential to success… the next painting. When one painting is completed the process starts again, it is unexpected, unknown and I never think my new painting will be as good as the last..that is what is so challenging…making it better, more interesting.

All of my recent paintings are on my website. I am happy that my work is recognizable in galleries and I love what I do, so I think that comes through in my work.

How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I am a long time member of the San Diego Watercolor Society, where my work can be seen at many monthly exhibits. I also show at the Kate Ashton Gallery on 30th Street and various exhibitions throughout the city on a fairly regular basis. I am a member of and have exhibited in the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor West, The International Society of Acrylic Paintings and the Western Federation of Watercolor Painting.

Contact Info:

• Website: http//:www.NellBartlett.com
• Phone: (619) 997-6355
• Email: billenell@mac.com

Image Credit:
Nell Bartlett

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