Bryce Nicholson: Ultimately, I want my paintings to come to life

Tell a little bit about how you first got into creating art.

I've been practicing art since I can remember. Whether through punishments like time-outs or my own motivation, I've been engaged in creating art from a young age. However, it wasn't until I was around 11 years old that I began to seriously pursue art with the goal of achieving something meaningful.

What artists or movements have had an impact on you?

Mark Rothko has had a profound impact on my work. His consistent layering and overlapping of colors have added significant depth to my own creations, just as Rothko achieved in his large-scale paintings. Additionally, Francisco Goya's black paintings have taught me the power of the environment and storytelling in an artist's work. I believe that challenging viewers is a remarkable achievement to strive for as an artist.

What themes does your work involve?

My artwork revolves around conveying emotions through a surrealist approach. Rather than having my characters feel the emotions, I aim to make them visible and tangible, capturing moments of emotion at face value instead of bottling them up inside.

What is important to you about the visual experiences you create?

It is crucial for me to fully immerse myself in the characters I create. I commit to feeling with them, becoming them, and reacting as they would. Ultimately, I want my paintings to come to life.

What is the significance of medium and color?

I choose to work with oils because it is a volatile medium. I appreciate the possibility of making mistakes and being able to respond to them in a meaningful way. I find beauty in the harmonious balance that can be achieved between colors that may initially seem incompatible. Additionally, the thick texture of oil paints provides an illusion of depth, reminiscent of the skin.

Do you work from memory, life, photographs, or from other resources? Describe your creative process.

All of my creations originate from my imagination. In the early stages of my career, I used to reference photographs for my hyper realistic charcoal drawings, but I found that it made my work feel less authentic. If I could recreate something from a photo, so could someone else. Now, I strive to create works that are honest and uniquely conceived from my own creative perspective. I use layering and pentimento techniques, continuously refining my paintings until they come to life.

What is your favorite art accident? Did it change your perspective?

While I have experienced numerous art accidents, I don't recall any specific ones. Interestingly, whatever happens in my work always seems to find its place, as the characters I create embrace the mistakes and incorporate them into the subject. Rather than shying away from mistakes, I embrace them and view them as opportunities.