Artist: Nelson Boren
Title: Engaged
Edition Size: Artist Handsigned and Numbered to 35
Medium: Giclee on Paper
Image Dimensions: 22" w x 30" h.
About the Artist: Born and raised in Tempe, Arizona, Nelson studied to be an architect earning a

degree from Arizona State University. After practicing for 15 years, during

which time he owned a successful firm and won numerous awards, Nelson made the

pivotal decision to leave the field in 1980 to pursue his dream of becoming a

full-time artist.

Nelson credits his life-long love of both art and math with his dual-career

path of architecture and fine art. His mother, a painter herself, was his

earliest influence. As a teenager in the “psychedelic ‘60s”, the only art

posters his mother allowed Nelson to hang in his bedroom where those he painted

himself.

Later, as an architecture student he had time for very few electives. The first

one he chose was a watercolor course with a much-admired professor of

architecture who Nelson says painted like “magic.” Discouraged by not painting

as well as his teacher, he effectively gave up and stayed focused on

architecture.

Years later, however, the burning desire to paint returned and he resumed

watercolor classes, this time with a higher degree of dedication and more

realistic goals. It was during this phase of training when Nelson developed his

signature style which he credits most to the principle of “gestalt.”

At the same time Nelson became increasingly disillusioned with architecture and

the increasing business demands of owning his firm. Finally, in 1980, he and

his wife made the decision to make a major lifestyle change and move their

family, including the seven children, to Northern Idaho.

One of Nelson’s goals was to paint full time, however, he knew he would have to

sell some works to justify his time. He got his art represented by several

Scottsdale galleries by showing his work door-to-door. Within two weeks, two of

his paintings sold. Since then, some of the leading galleries in the U.S. have

sought to represent his work, recognizing his unique combination of incredible

detail and big, bold and graphic images.

Nelson’s work is in collections across the United States including the Whitney

Museum of Western Art, Cody, Wyoming, the Coca Cola Company and the Dallas

Cowboys NFL football team.