Hello Nicholas,I am a former instructor at Pratt and The School of Visual Arts and currently teach at Silvermine Art School in Norwalk, Connecticut. It is a pleasure to see a beautifully creative watercolor done so well. And, it is equally enjoyable to read how openly you shared the "How To" aspects of what needs to be done in the process. I intend to share your teachings and your work with hundreds of watercolor students. You are welcomed up here...might even invite you as a celebrity to say hello to my watercolor students. And as for your judging some shows. that is an open offer. You are a talented genius, you certainly deserve a place in the archives of distinguished watercolorists/painters.

Your work is great, and new, tell them to get used to it , it is here to stay for eternity...

Hi there Nicholas, or Mr. Simmons! I found your website via Wet Canvas, and I thought I was gonna start crying. You´re a fantastic painter, and you make me wanna paint! I just love the way you create structure, movement with your work..., marvellous!!! Keep on workin'!!

Really enjoyed your rebellious bad boy prose, both inciteful and insightful. I will be really excited to try this. I am heartened by your strength of vision.

Un "enfant" terrible de l'aquarelle...il sait...tout faire dépoussiérant avec bonheur et irrévérence toutes les techniques...Un style à part très percutant auquel on ne peut rester insensible.

I spent nearly 40 years in engineering and picked what I know by curiosity with no formal training but maybe I will move closer to you if they give me a longer life.The Tarantella, I love. Also Zarzuela.
You are painting in the direction I have been wanting to go for some time. Your knowledge of colour is magic. The painters you name on your site are also my favorites., particularly Sargent and Turner
However, sufficient to say I am impressed and thought you ought to know what I think .
You deserve and will make a fortune.

Dear Nick, I can't tell you how impressed I am with Tan Express. It is a fabulous painting. I love the composition, the translucent color and the light and dark patterns. It really pulled me into the scene. You get an A++ for this one. My big suggestion is to submit it to the Mid Atlantic Show. It's a show stopper for sure. I look forward to seeing your next work.

Hello,
I like your work. I especially appreciate your free, open and playful approach to creating. My question is do you do any one-on-one mentoring or perform workshops. Truthfully, I'm not really interested in a workshop (although I might attend one)...but I live in the DC area and I'm looking to work occasionally with a local artist. It is difficult to find work that I feel some connection to, but like they say you know it when you see it.
I appreciate your time and wish you continued success.

Nick - what can I say, you inspire me, you motivate me, your work touches my soul...frankly it just blows me away..OK I'm back. Thanks so much for weighing in...I guess my daughter's old toothbrush and some friskit can come in handy when developing a texture!! Your ability with texture is profound! Please keep on sharing..I am always in the front seat when it comes to your work...I'm the guy in the blue shirt with the jaw dropping on the floor all the time

Hi Nicholas,
I just read your illuminating and entertaining article on Wet Canvas... I work big and getting bigger and I work very wet-- how do you initially get paper off the roll to lie flat... my experience has been that the spring is so intense the only way was to soak and stretch. Would you be so kind as to explain what you do? It looks like we both admire Joseph Raffael!

Your painting, to me, says much and captures much about time and loss, but also has the vibrancy of life to it. Also, this is great work! Love the color use and the small parts that make up the whole. That gives the challenge to try something KING SIZE as I've just invested in some of the newer type Artist Watercolor Canvas. Your article was very helpful and interesting. So I do look forward to a new challenge. Thank you for your time and help if you have a quick moment.

Nick,Your 'Faded Glory' WIP was pretty wild. Interesting to see your work method. I guess you must have used this technique a lot to be able to achieve the end result by painting one tiny section at a time. Very informative post! And inspirational - I want to try working larger than I normally do, and this gives me some ideas.

Hi Nicholas, I saw your ad in WetCanvas and went to see your art. You have a great style and skill. I hope you will do well creating and selling your work.

Hello Mr.Simmons,
I was going through the net for more information on watercolor painting and came across your painting of the "Faded Glory".Really loved the painting and floored by the intricate work that has gone into it. I do a lot of oils and find it to be a more "forgiving" medium than watercolors. :-) The masochist ;-) in me is urging me to take up watercolors and i have trying to gather a whole lot info abt the same. Just wanted to let u know that i really am impressed with your work.

Ohhh, Myyy, GOSH!! Your Good!

Dear Mr. Simmons,
I just ran across that amazing article you posted on WetCanvas; about painting large watercolors. It was truly answering many questions I have and it inspired me to go beyond the tradition boundaries of watercolor.

I must tell you, your paintings have inspired me tremendously! Not only are they amazing and beautiful but the whole concept of revolutionizing the role of watercolor, I find noble and exciting. I mean, it is water color. Water is Life!; fluid and full of action... yet it has been crucified in lighthouses and sea scape's! Something must be done! Thank you for sharing your expertize with us. You have no idea how helpful and inspiring your articles are.

I'm new and have seen and love your WIP and have read a lot of the posts.Thankyou for revitalizing my interest in watercolor!!! Great work ,vibrant exciting and alive!!!

This is REAL ART - not mundane attempts to recreate left-brained reality, like most of us hobby artists do! Many great artists seem to have started off painting such reality (one can understand the demand for such paintings was high before the invention of photography) and then progressed more and more towards impressionist, surreal, abstract art. Turner is a good example. I wonder if you went through a similar learning process? One way or another, you certainly seem to have succeeded in this mind shift. It's difficult to put into words, but looking at your work opens up new dimensions in the mind of the viewer. Congratulations and thanks for enriching our lives!

Your work is breathtakingly original and you deeply involve the viewer! NES thanks, you being such a talented artist I very much appreciate your comments they are encouraging.

Nicholas, your versatility is awesome. It is what keeps me coming back. Cheers......

I will be watching for 2005...fabulous work Nick, you are definitely an ARTIST!!!!!!!!!!!! and a great one at that!!

We're Not worthy!

It is a fantastic years work, and confirms my thoughts that your talents are way up there.
You should enter some of these in the American Watercolor Society, I'm sure you would do well. I look forward to meeting you next year if you come to UK. Doesn't matter where you are I'll find a way of getting there.

You seem to have this inate ability to produce these fantastic shapes and the point is they are not copies. So many hit on a good shape and stick to it because it is successful but not so here - each is original and stands alone. I dont want to sound like the President of your fan club but it had to be said.

Excelsior Nicholas, It has been a very fortuitous thing meet you here. One day IRL I hope. Thanks for your support and friendship.

Pfuiiiiiiiii Fantastic retrospective! for me which is new it's also a real pleasure to see so much of your jobs in just one post. Your technic is really something new for me, I've never seen before watercolor used like that and it is surprising but beautiful

Nicholas, Your paintings have left me spellbound. They are awesome and incomparable. Unfortunately, the responses to your work on site are so voluminous and move with such velocity (such as Koi) that I get left behind. So please take this response as a composite message of congratulations on some outstanding work and shared techniques.

Delicious! Hadn't seen "Raku" before, that blue is a blue I wouldn't mind drowning in!
I adore "Winter Garden", so much white paper and yet so much to look at...Those warm tones next to that harsh cold white...The masculine palette....The brush strokes look so random and spur of the moment; heartfelt. Relaxing, peaceful, seductive mixed with a harder substance...A mans definition of romance perhaps?

Mmmmmmmmmmm.....Amazing Nick....

I live vicariously through your work and images of your REAL work.

I had to browse through your work again. You have certainly cornered a large part of the world map of art singing with your own voice., not other peoples as we tend to do as we learn and explore.
Einstein said that Imagination was far more powerful than knowledge...You have bucketsful to be able to produce the shaapes that you do

Hi Nicholas
All of your work is just wonderful Nick. I really love your style and its great of you to post them in one thread. Your threads seems to be breaking new records all the time. I wish I had the right words to comment each one of them but I dont... You are a great master! Thanks again for sharing these beautiful pieces and your wisdom.

It is said that before we can receive we must give, my friend, you have given so much here that I can't image you ever wanting for anything. The biggest gift you have given all of us ..... is your time.

cooeeewwwllll. or cool for short. We aussies drawl it out ya know. Your a master at this stuff.

Nick, I'm back from Pittsburgh and walked through all these wonderful offerings you shared with us in '04. I am looking forward to seeing your creative turnings in '05. Your range is wonderful, and your talent unique. It is exciting to see how many on WC have learned and are experimenting themselves with water and mixed media. A tribute to your painstaking, thorough and fascinating WIPs!
I don't know how much Valfred Thelin influenced you, but I sense his enthuasiam for sharing, experimenting and stretching boundaries rubbed off well!

Your work is unbelievable Nick. Don't know how you control the flow of color like you do -- masterful!!! I'm awe inspired.

That flower is wonderful, I just can't imagine how you manage to get all that control of washes on a plastic sheet!!

I always seem to equate straight lines and angles with architectural and male-ness and flowing lines with mother nature and female-ness. The abstract lacks a gender and seems to include both in a perfect mix. It's truly beautiful!!!!

It was great to see these painting in their settings. It shows their scale so much more effectively. They all look super. To me, Faded Glory looks even better seeing the whole masterpiece like that. As I've browsed through your gallery, the Neon sign one had always stuck out to me...in a good way. It is hard to figure how in the world you did that....why the darks don't look like mud and how the light looks like lights, etc. Thank you for sharing them again with us in this context

I could spend hours looking at this painitng at the shapes and see all the diffrent things in there.

A wild thread, lol! your ocean yupo painting is divine, and the huge masterworks leave me speechless. Faded Glory is bigger than the sofa! I would luv to see them in person, congratulations on your success Nicholas

Ocean Flower is great! This Yupo sound very interesting. How did you accomplish those black solid lines? Thanks, glad to see your work selling and in such cool places! Love that guitar place!

Nick, this sounds like a must-see show!!! I'm going to try to get back to the east coast in time to see it. Will it be up all of May?

Nick- Congratulations! Wish I could attend your classes in Fla. , You have so much to give and I would learn so much , I know. I can not be there to see you , but I know you will bring all that you have to give and all your warmth to your Teaching and and become Well-Known for that, as well as your Art.

Nick I'd move heaven and earth to be there if I could just get my hands on them. .I'm off to daydream about it.

Bravo, Nick, you are in there with some pretty heavy hitters...and you deserve to be. Will be with you in spirit, but it is a little too far away for me to be there in person. I'm sure it would be a real "enlightenment."

I have just found this forum too Nick! I would dearly love to be there when you do this workshop. Alas it is not possible....at this point in time, BUT who knows.... miracles do happen!!!

Hi! I wish I am in US (florida) and learn from you! Too bad I am on the other part of the world..
I'll be there. looking forward to it.

Has Creative Catalyst contacted you yet about doing an instructional video ?? You've got 71% of the votes right now as an artist people would most like to see do a video. Hope you do, cuz I'll be one of the buyers...

Wow, Nick!!! This is impressive... The lighting looks wonderful. Should be a great venue for your unique art work... Congratulations.

Wow, this gallery is beautiful. Good luck on sales....and by the way....why are your prices so cheap? Your work should be $10,000 and up. I actually thought that it was already! Boy, some people up there are going to get some real bargains!!!

Beautiful Gallery! They are lucky to represent you. Sorry I have been away from WC for awhile...Looks like you have been extremely busy! Crazier things could happen than my heading down to Sarasota to see the "rising star" at work...I'll know soon if I can make it. I could use trying a completely new approach to the medium.

What an impressive gallery..Yeah you had BETTER keep those prices down boyo. I am still saving for my Nick original too.

Fresh Sushi

Always happy to look at a thread of Nick's!!! Amazing as usual!

Vivid, interesting, brilliant work!

Beautiful work. The lights come alive!

Wow Nick! Great stuff this! I love the balance between the light and dark areas. And the colours are wonderful!
It is always a joy to see your work.

Wow this is gorgeous...love the colors and brightness...fantastic painting!

Outstanding!

Very exciting piece of art, Nick....probably one of my favorites of yours. That emerald green color on the letters is fascinating. I love the "broken" effect that you do in your art that enlivens. It especially works well in these neon sign effects and the reflections bouncing around glass in the night. You are one that I watch to learn from.

.WOW..the colors just dance and harmonize so very well......such an eclectic mix of colors.....all playing nice together.........very vibrant and just lovely......this is a great piece Nick.......Fantastic Work......

Wow Nick! You definitely captured the neon look in this. I am so enthralled with the colors I don't know if I would have thought to read the sign if it wasn't for the painting title. Another winner!

I love the feeling of fractured reflections and the colours just glow. This is one of my favourites of yours.

What an exciting painting! The colors really glow - very "neon" looking.

Nick, This is excellent!!!! I'm sure I'll be back many times to check this out over and over.

Nick, I really like this one!! Your palette is so vibrant and the perspective is awesome.Huge too!!

Hi Nick, this is too good, amazing how you manage w/o masking!

You've made a mundane scene look magical. Beautiful.

Hi Nick! Very interesting composition and I think you've nailed the neon lights! Great stuff!

Just wonderfully gorgeous, Nick.

Just wonderful. Love all the bits of color that you are famous for.

WOW! Nick. I never know what to expect when I open one of your threads and I am never disappointed. The neon sign does in fact glow

Marvelous job.....as usual! Was this done with masking or did you use the batik method ....or a combination of both? Great use of color and I like how you have mixed the very loose rendition of the sign with the very tight painting of the plates. Works well!

I already told you Nick ,I thought it was Smashing . This of course needs to be seen on the Wall and at a distance for real impact , Right ??? Your tremendous knowledge for using complements properly and getting the eye to travel Where YOU want it ,to getting shape and color in just the right places is Brilliantly illustrated here as usual!!!!
Along with all that ,the Oriental Mood, so important to me in a Painting, takes me right to where you've been. I am there Too !! So Bravo again, Nick !!!!!!!!

Oh Nick--it's such a delight to see your work here again; I haven't been around much lately either(mostly lurking every once in awhile). This is soooo cool looking! Love the neon...all those little bitty colors really make this painting. Would LOVE to see this on a wall--just the thought of being able to get up close to check out all the little details...

Have no words for it Nick. Amazingly beautiful like always

Inspired and inspiring - as usual.

Nick, vibrant and electric! (Pun intended ) Another exciting painting from you.

Thanks for gracing us; this is FABULOUS! deeper than eye candy, yet, oh, so DELICIOUS! FABULOUS!!!

very exciting and vibrant....

this is brilliant, Nick!

I love the colors and your compositon. putting the lettering at an angle. The other symbols like the figure and the china plates really give this a great flavor. Well done!

Holy Carp!!! (Sorry, couldn't resist) This is such an exciting piece. I dream of the day that I can instill such wonder and fascination and excitement into my art work. So...back to the drawing board I go...Thanks so much for sharing this.

Nick, good to have you back and what an entrance!Your work is always so interesting and this one is no exception.There is so much movement in this - keeps me traveling thru even sliding down the diagonal. I think your deep darks with splashes of gesso must be a trademark for you and it contrasts so wonderfully here with the bright neon lights. I especially like that you did the dark triangle in the top left

Nick this is a masterwork again. An explotion of beautiful colors in balance. And the neon in front. Great great gorgeous work.

WOW....I love everything about this painting....it is electric!!!!!! I want to just lose myself in it.

Wonderful shapes of beautiful colour stun me.. but then colour is my inspiration. It is how you put those shapes together that is so eyecatching...and I don't even like sushi LOL.

Love the color!!!! Outstanding as usual.....good luck at the show. Wish you would have done a wip on this one.
Wow! This is just amazing. The colors, the movement, everything.

Pure Class

Nick, you have the most fun! And for us, the most fun paintings ... Love this one. Expected more koi but instead found this fabulously rendered neon production in watercolours. Bravo!

Very strong and Bold...Night scenes with Neon are my absolute favorite.

Talking of LA, check out Robert Standish - using neon lights etc. I love this type of stuff - with cues to the film Blade Runner, Metropolis, etc., takes me back to my mispent youth with some dodgy bird (sorry ladies! Im not sexist, promise), and I think you are younger than me! Once again - enormous, bold, larger than life, flying the flag for watercolour. Different league.

it`s been months since I peeked in the gallery and I`m so glad I did. This is also a wonderful painting.
I love the colours, and the way they mingle, and the reflections...........and everything.

That's a piece of art! I espcially like the adventurous color combination you use here, but it blend together fabulous.

Fantastic!One of your best! Colour and comp. right on! This one won't be gathering any dust, that's for sure.

Pues chico, your picture me encanta.Te pondría aquí muchas things si supiera inglés, but...si sigo te vas a liar.Pon hear others pictures, que me van a alegrar my eyes. P.D.Doy permiso para el que quiera le traduzca mi comentario. Y ponerle que el avatar ese es fashion total. Un saludo desde Europa, nén.

Incredible! Cómo te las arreglas para mezclar los colores y evitar que te queden las letras borrosas?. Felicidades!

Me parece una acuarela muy original de temática y colores, un tema poco visto por Hispa. Creo que muy buena técnicamente y de gran sensibilidad. Felicidades.

Tu acuarela transmite multitud de sensaciones. Un tema muy original como todos los tuyos en un estilo único y sorprendente. Felicidades.

UN BONITO TEMA NICHOLAS LLENO DE COLORIDO

Hola Nick, bueno verte de nuevo en el foro, y contento de ver que otros norteamericanos Wcs estan registrados y "mirando", supongo invitados por vos. Grandiosa composicion, fabulosa la tecnica y un tema muy inteligente
Hola Nick, gusto de verte nuevamente. Me guta mucho tu acuarela, es una impresionante muestra de habilidad y control. Saludos!

Nick, te felicito,por esta estupenda acuarela !! hace tiempo que no te veíamos por esta tu casa,esperamos que nos visites más a menudo,!!saludos!!

Nicholas, thank you for posting...You have wonderful style!! I like all of the colours you have chosen to work into it. You have the most important thing in your watercolors… they look wet!!!

Interpretación loca es la que tu has realizado ahora. Pero me gusta mucho!!

Bueno....que decir...ES UN MAESTRO!!!!

ME PARECE UNA OBRA MUY ORIGINAL, TAN TO EN EL TEMA ELEGIDO COMO EN EL COLORIDO UTILIZADO. LA ACUARELA ESTÁ TRATADA DE UNA FORMA MUY ACTUAL, MUY MODERNA..... ME GUSTA.

Acabo de ver tu trabajo, es magnifico, al natural, dado el tamaño debe ser impresionante! Muy bueno!!

Muy Buena e innovadora, un bonito trabajo de contrastes.
Felicidades. Cuelga alguna más. Saludos

¡Extraordinaria, esos colores y la fuerza que tiene¡. Da gusto ver nuevas ideas por estas páginas. fracias, Nicholas.

Bustin' Out For Rosey

I don't know that song, but this painting tells me a story, dramatic and passionate. The 'burning' frame makes it more. A lot of deep feelings are there... remarkable, touching work. P.S. I always wonder, how can you make such deep-dark background with watercolour? With how many layers could you get it?

Your paintings are great no matter what the subject!!!!

Dude...you're outa here man! The economy of the marks is unreal. I love the hint of blue at the top and the hot edges!!! I think Bolin would said it was pretty cool too!!!

Nice vibes... you're the renaissance man Nick!

Nick , Your Dry - Brush is Fabulous and you are," Truly a Shape -Maker and an Entertainer", in this one, as Whitney ,Always used to say ! I knew you'd pull it out of your Bag of Tricks ,and I wish I could work under immense pressure like you do , but it's not for me.

wow some huge brushstrokes there! i don't know tommy bolin or the song, but it's interesting to know that there is a story behind this, whatever it is

Well, aren't YOU struttin' pretty and sassin' with this one? Kicking a little b*tt too, I'm thinking. I love the movement in this one, and the play of hot and cold, all crisp and toasty! It's almost oriental in its simplicity, but classic Nick in its complexity. You nailed it.

Hi Nick, I often feel good abstract shapes are the most difficult of all. You have got to be "in the mood" to even dent them. I guess you were playing Glen Miller - LOL ..Love it

Hi Nick - Love it!! What colour is the background? Is it "Deep Purple"?

it speaks 'woman' for me!beautiful brushstroke on the 'hair',the blue spots,the tiny yellow spots,the elegant white line on right are great

Nick, here is my interpretation. I see a rising brilliant star (Tommy) on his way to the top only to fall in a firey crash -- dying too young.

I always have a very fine feeling by opening a new posted thread from you.

This is a winner again Nick. Love everything about this piece of art.

ZEN and the art of painting...

This is an unusual painting even from you my friend. That is, of course, a compliment. It has an intriguing shape that at first begs for interpretation but then is appreciable for its purely graphic qualities. The hot bleeding border around the edges is a great contrast. The COI works well being the heaviest white space within the shape combined with the blue and the tension of having it closest to the black background edge at that spot - a device that rarely fails to draw the eye.

glorious job nick! at my first look it looked very dead work except the obvious mundane association of nicholas with very "n" looking sinage. Second offshoot of that thought was neon and yeah it does has neon glow though orange is very earthy(perhaps camera pic) but still my imagination is exported to celestial world thanks to neonic(is that a word) droplets on top right. It looks very interdimensional work. The drybursh on left almost giving feel of sheer leftover stretch from his face(this humanoid) after arrival from 2 dimensional world. The spirals help achieving the organic feel. the neon glow on his head and not yet descriptive body parts helpt to produce dynamism to this transistion. very cool and bold as usual

OK I get the Tommy idea that Deb is speaking of, I see passion and fire, and you had to be listening to Jazz its really pushing the envelope to watch you paint abstract right in front of us with such bold confidence
good on you Nick!!

this just in: I do recall Tommy Bolin and I also recall Zephyr records thanks to my brothers collection of vinyls at the time aka Deep Purple. Now that was colorful music!!!

I can see this hanging in Guy Petersons office, or mine. But I know Nick, you are far too expensive. (tee hee).
(PS yes you would make a great architect, you have passion!! It's what our profession needs right now)

Nick, when I first opened this I thought of the explosion of The Challenger which I was watching on the tube when it happened. The dark ( how did you get that, FUB + BU? in acrylics?) hints of space and the fire orange around the perimeter supports that. But I see pink on the outside, is that the true color?No matter, this is so powerful and one of my favorites that you have done.

So you are also a fan of the chinese artists like me, huh? Very striking in its simplicity. Beautiful.

OOOOHHH, I see a wild jack rabbit, running in the bitter cold from a wild predator, almost with jubilation because he is winning the race, such energy, wow, just love it.

I'm betting that the black is really lively and not flat at all--otherwise you could have just used Sumi ink and been done with it. But having seen some of your work up close, I'm thinking that this 'black' is as deep as space and verrrry interesting. I also LOVELOVELOVE what my Sumi-e teacher called the 'flying whites' in this - the drybrush bits and the lines and dots that come off the main figure. I could look at this for a long time.

hi Nicholas - great fusion work (asian/western)

Hi Nicholas...I know I'm supposed to be focusing on the "leaping" image in the center but the "burning" edges keep pulling my gaze away...The warmth there is very inviting and intriguing to my eye.
Intriguing painting. I'm especially drawn to the orange fringe and the mystic purple in the upper left corner. Spectacular intensity for watercolour.

powerful - expressive - love the outline in yellow and the crown in blue - very effective painting, Nick - you have a sobering and enviable sense for your calling-

Hey Nicholas! A recent entry.. what do you know?? Like the color scheme on this and the calligraphy effect. Reminds me of using stamps (to print) but on a larger scale. Something like those great Zen woodblock prints. The dark background with the orange outer glow gives me a real mellow (visual and mental) buzz. Bet you had to have some elbow room to manage this one. Beautiful!

Very iconic, almost hieroglyphic - definitely the beginning of a series.Rock on (literally)!!

I couldn't even begin to interpret this, nor even wish to, but I could look at this for hours. It is so intriquing. Powerful image.

This is so cool Nick!! I really am getting the hang of your abstracts..

Nick, I've been back here a few times the last couple of days. This painting is just plain cool!!! In thinking about it, I found myself questioning how I'd relate to it if it were hanging in my home. At first it's pretty thrilling being so bold and different. I wonder after a year would I find it as compelling since it lacks the typical Nicholas depth and nuance. In other words, once it's been studied is there more to find later on? I don't know. Maybe you should send it to me so I can figure it out?!

I keep coming back too. Eastern and ancient yet modern and American.

I love it for its strong impact, the soft blue and the BORDERS!!!!! Technically amazing as usual -great stuff

Hola Nick, spectacular work, it is tremendous! Beautiful! Gran temperamento!! Un afectuoso saludo.

Great dramatic piece.

Once again...I am mad at myself for missing this ...until now! In the initial image, I could not see white (except in some very small dots) The framed piece shows almost all white, where, I originally saw pink (pretty pink...but obviously not what others were seeing) So (being a bit confused) I am responding to the energy of the painting....I love the action... the fluid movement and the " spray off '' extra energy from "the shape'' I relate this shape to the action of guitarists, (especially circa 1970's) This was when Rock became separate from Rock'n Roll...(at least to me) There is extra energy from the "fiery" edge. In a word "powerful"

Exciting work. Nuff sed.

September Song

What a beauty Nick. I love every millimeter, every inch of that work.

Gorgeous colors, excellent composition. A winner again.

Great bit of work was this close to the photo if so then just this once mother nature is not far off....background works great for me.

No hard crit from me. I could stare at this forever and never tire of it. I remember you showing the photo. Boy did you ever nail it!

Another one of your greats!

The Design is Impeccable . The Diagonal water divisions are wonderful shapes on the edges , against the 3 differing groupings of leaves ,winding their way, upward ,keep you hopping and the Leaf bits are masterful the way they make the eye work slowly up to the top and Sit right at the Top, at the Leaf Change of Color.
Super beautiful. I think my favorite of yours. I love the subject, the comp, the colors, perfect in every way.

It's fantastic Nick! Love those deep blues!

you gotta be kidding, this is sensational! i love it.

Very impressive Nick this must be something to see in real life, these colours look tremendous--

Hi Nick. Beautiful work. Spectacular.

Absolutely no technical critique from me, BUT, THIS IS DELICIOUS!!! The blue is fabulous, it's rich and deep and cold and refreshing and deliciously colorful.

Wow, it IS absolutely MUSICAL!!! Thank you for sharing and delighting us.

What a beautiful Title..This painting makes me really look!!!!!!!!!!!!! All that delicious colour, that orange!! I shall be studying this for a while yet

Nick,this is a little gem,an absolute beauty in every way.Beautiful water-color, delicate I am employed both at drawing and at color.A work full of poetry. Congratulations

Well, if this is a small study for the real thing, then you have blown my mind! I'm sure this small photo doesn't do it justice. I remember seeing your photograph of this, and knew you'd make a hell of a painting from it!

Who would have thought that old leaves floating in water could look so delicious. You live and learn....

Hi Nick,
This is certainly refreshing to see on WC. Such wonderful darks. Such a great pattern of light and dark. I agree with the less than usual lively color. This has a more sadness of the end of a season. I would like a lively version also, but it would probably lose the unity and harmony that you have in this one. You might just electrify that central largest leaf area with a tad of orange....a little brighter...very little though. That's all that I would suggest about color. I love the way it flows WITH the water and becomes ONE. You be the master at that.

I'm way to new at this to give hard crit! I just know what I love and I LOVE THIS!!!Makes my heart sing!!!

The blue reads "water" to me too, and those leaf colors are perfect. I can't believe that you did this "quick like". Wish I could see it in real life.

This is just great Nick! I get a chuckle when you describe a 30" X 30" painting as small! The blue works fine for me and actually reads as water but then I saw the reference photo so my mind remembers that. What makes this one for me is the shapes of the leaves in the lower left corner and then the light blue...looks like a cerulean....in the upper right corner! wonderful!

Ok, I love this too!!! Awesome.

I really love it. By its nature, it's not as exciting as, say, flamenco dancers, so the opportunity for a real dynamic piece isn't there (that deconstructs time/motion etc.). But, in standard decorative terms, this painting is killer. Just beautiful. Belongs on my wall.

For me it is interesting because you took an award winning photo and gave it a beautiful twist. Your personal style/approach with this just lifts it up a huge notch and screams Fall, the end, organic beauty, complexity in a seemingly simplistic scene, and finally...June's yard is incredibly beautiful...even how the leaves fall is beautiful.. You've captured the raw spirit of a scene most people would just walk by and dismiss as uninteresting...You've said before that a good artist should also be a good photographer (add your own superlatives in the statement), I have to completely agree with you on that point! Oh yeah, I think Mother Nature got it real close this time...you just pushed it over the edge!

Nick, this one is great, amazing painting.

Simply amazing, Nick,

This is realy wonderful. Amazing beautiful

Wow I love this painting! Makes me feel like I´m submerged in very clear water at night, looking up at a starlit sky between the leaves.

Nick: This is awesome. It is very Raffael-like. Beautiful!

No professional sounding opinions from me, not smart enough for it and furthermore I either like what I see or I dont and I LOVE what I see!!!!!! and I never realized you had so much patience Nick!!!!! So Excellent!!!

well done....even the bit of wave on the water....wow!! I wanna be like you when I grow up!

Perfect, perfect, perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nothing to crit here - I love the colors and the composition as welll as the detail. Excellent (of course) job

Fantastic! Love the dark blue and muted colors of the leaves. Everything works, very rich looking. Would love to see it IRL . So much is lost in posting on the net. On to N.Y. !!!! I too want to be like you when I grow up.

Technically brilliant

It is Already in the Gallery . Usually gone before the Signature has even dried . This will probably end up being a 50 x60 Painting . The thought of all that kind work is staggering, but I do love to see them.

OOF !!!
I am restaggered by that Outside Shot More beautiful than I thought originally.

I can't believe this! I go to sleep and wake up to all this action! You have only just posted this and look at all those responses!! I also had the biggest bin ready!! Now I see it is framed....it is good to see you are smiling in the photo, so you must be happy with it too!! I love the closeups.....just beautiful!

Nick it looks outstanding in open air i wish i could do a workshop under you some time if i get lucky to visit USA sometime in my life

Yep....you have a stem/line just as my eye was thinking was there but couldn't see it. Way to go Nick. You are the BEST!!!! And I really mean that.

Brilliant wonderful colors!

Doubly GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS!!!!

heh heh... that one will sell immediately.

I don't need reflections...because I prefer read it in an abstract way ..of course!
you have done a fantastic work with these leaves....btw we are working on the same format!...(just kidding of course...) I don't forget to say:BRAVO!

Seeing the close ups and magnitude of the pre-planning ,thinking and work involved in this painting I can only say this is an amazing piece

Nick, this is stunningly, breath-takingly BEAUTIFUL!

I LOVE, Love, love this!!! The palette is just perfect and the composition very pleasing. Wonderful job Nick
I love it, Nick. You take your dramatic subjects to new heights. But you also elevated the simple leaves in a pool of water. Thanks for the close-ups. They make it clear that this is all Nick.

Awsome piece.. covers the value range and great color scheme. love it!

I have some experiences in water-color, (allthough I'm painting encaustic mostly last time), but I think I'll completely change my method next time when I try again with water since I've seen you works. Your art is amazing

Simply amazing. No critique from me. Your paintings are so liberating in terms of playing with pigments but staying close to subject

You're first artist who's work actually caught my attention. Sounds cheesy right? but nothing is farther from truth things just happen to be that way. I know sometime in future i would give a shot when i'm at your level of thinking creatively instead of just producing cheesy stuff one after another often with few alterations from photographs(yep thats me!!).

Congrats Nick!!! I've wanted this one since I first saw it. It's a favorite so I'm glad it went to a good home! I too really appreciate the close-ups you post. It really helps me to study them as I learn.

Your photos well illustrate the transparency of your technique.I have learned so much from having you here.
Outstanding work Nick

I obviously missed this while I was away from WC. Who'd believe you could do so much with a pile of dead leaves? This is modern and wonderful as usual. You seem to be getting close to 50-50 light/dark and cool/warm ratios here, but there's so much interest in the movement and broken spaces that I don't think it really suffers. That bottom maple leaf makes for a well executed COI.

This is beautiful Nick...don't know how I missed it until now...but nevertheless a tremendouse work of art. Your work really inspires me to try and work outside of my little photorealism box. I think your comment about working big really hit a chord with me...I worry about "messin up" a large piece of expensive paper, but maybe I need the room to grow. Thanks for all the thinking your pieces make me do about my own voice in art.

Nick, your style is unmistakeable! beautiful!

Hey Nick - this is a smashing piece.

Hi! Nick, I'm really appreciate that you did the update and put in the close-ups of your work, a credit to your skill. Up close it has the "painterly quality" that so makes it your creativity. Congratulations on your sale. Your threads are very interesting.

Yep I like it a lot, this is not just a perfect studio for a tremendous NICKAZZO but a great work for itself, from "faded glory" i become a flower stuff fan, and this one is in the right direction.

Nick, This is wonderful!!! I always love your depth of color.

La Vida Breve

Staggeringly beautiful piece of work. A great contribution to contemporary watercolor.

I feel it!

Makes me feel like dancing!!! I really like the expression on her face, her red skirt, the movement, everything. Excellent as usual! Bravissimo

Nick, I am in awe over this one! Your best yet IMO. Absolutely love it! Intense in so many ways.

Double..triple WOW! This is just magnificent! Nick! You are a master!

BRILLIANT!

Well, if this don't beat them all, then I don't know what else does. SUPER PAINTING, Nick. This blows everything out of the water. I know that you're not going to admit it.....but genius resides in that mind of yours. Terrific use of movement and line.What a sight to see this morning. I've seen some other work that is really fabulous today, but this is just spectacular.

You continue to amaze me, Nick. Any superlative I can think of has been used ... so I'll just say, "BRAVO!!!!"

Well, it's all already been said. I think it belongs in the MOMA instead of a private collection. Absoulutely fabulous - wish I could see it live.

Such passion and movement ... The rest has all been said

You have a very special gift. I hope you have the full realization of this, knowning that you were given it for a distinct purpose. Perhaps this is to bring joy to others. Perhaps it is to open the homes in which your work hangs, to an appreciation of beauty. I do not know. I hope you will search with heart and soul for the answer.

As for me, a fellow artist, I'm impressed with all you do and love to see the results of that creative ability which just seems to envelope every aspect of your work. Please, don't ever take it for granted.
The direction of the movement, a choice of texture which evokes the traditional ones, much energy. I hope that my English does not produce the odd ones. Congratulations.

Brilliant artists paint:
Fearlessly
incredible shapes
creative application
You are brilliant in my book.

Hey Nick. Just had to come back for another look. This has to be one of my favorite paintings of all time. Wanted you to know thatWhat a feast for the senses....like a beautifully composed symphony.

Nick that skirt flowing as the dancer spins is to die for, your work is profound.

Oh WOW. You certainly fit my definition of genius.

I just keep coming back to look at this one. whew. I think it is really genius of you - the whole concept - to tie into the brevity of life message into the imagry this way;- even as she dances she seems to be moving from this world to the next. Really, thanks for making imporant and meaningful art. For giving people a reason to think and consider these things

Nick, this one is superb - the melting dress is ab fab!!!

You never fail to amaze me. This is my new favorite. I love everything about it.

ouch! this is really stunning nick. it's very intense.

I cannot find any superlatives which have not been said here before so all I can say is I'm a humble admirer of your art Nick...

Hi Nick, great work this, composition is stunning. The negative spaces so very very interesting, and the way she melts into the bottom right corner is wonderful.

Nick, this is fantastic!! I love everything about it!!!

Hi Nick, I'm a newbie and in awe of what you have done here. So much freedom and a real feel for the drama of the flamenco dance. You've captured the tension in the dance so well with the expression and your use of negative space. I can feel the energy!

this is brilliant. Congratulations.

Wow , Have you achieved Incredible Drama with this !! They must be thrilled beyond words . It fits the wall perfectly and the colors are just right and of course there is the Originality .They won't be seeimg see this anywhere they go ! I hope you will get some further Commissions from this Excellent work . In Fact I wish you all the Luck in the World ! . All the circular planes in this hold it together Beautifully. The Swirl dress is totally original ,as is the pattern on the blouse . Nick , you are just Nick !!! Fabulous !!!!!!!!!!!!!

A stunning work full of drama, just like the flamenco dance it personifies. I really like the skirt breaking up as it does to convey motion. The white swirls seem to echo where the dance has just been leaving them behind as she stomps her feet and turns with passion.

I love your sense for moving...it is so obvious even in your still lifes, but in capturing movement like this it seems like an bomb of energy is just exploded ...great picture as usual

WOWWWW!!!! Love this very much. Beautiful.

Nick, I find your techniques so interesting, and the resulting painting is excellent. What I find interesting is how you took the negative space in front of the dancer and streamed the ribbons from the fan, which flow down to the skirt and the eye is lead back to the face. Superb!

Oh wow , Nick. All of this is wonderful but the disintegrating dress is my favorite bit. A pattern yet not. Her hand with the fan is a wonderful treat the eye catches after looking at her face and clothing. Pieces like this are why you are one of the best.

a stunner nick!! just yesterday i was reading your article about "Tarantella" and the mental conflicts you went through producing it and here's another masterpiece . what captures my attention in this are the wavy lines giving an illusion of unsung music which was absent in this art and her facial expression. I like how you included ash color in this which invokes very integral nomadic angle to flamenco. I wouldn't have thought about it but you've just touched right chords to play this music

What can I say, the best Nick

Look at that skirt - flowing like lava and I also love the swirlies, it's a beautiful painting Nick and then I saw it on the wall and OHHH WOW, how rich, how priceless!!!!!

Stunning Nick! The way you handled the background and the dress is just wonderful! Great feeling of movement and emotion. Another winner!

Destined for multi star rating!

That skirt is just the best!!! What a great pic!

Composition, expression of the dancer, insertion of abstract elements and especially also the little coloured spots, must be tremendeous in real life !

Nick--I think you've just hit a new high--BRAVO!!!!!!! This is just stunning! The skirt (as others have said) is awesome...I believe I have a new favorite (at least until the next one that you post--LOL). I'm anxiously awaiting the release of your DVD from Creative Catalyst Productions...it's going to be so great! They are really lucky to have this hanging...keep 'em coming!

This one is breathtaking Nick. I am speechless. Wow, gorgeous. Have no words enough. A real masterpiece again.

it's great Nick!
drama in the colors of the background and the expression of the face
vigour but grace in the arms
passion in the red and golden colors of the dress
movement with the lines and the desintegrated skirt
how could this spanish dance be better expressed....
BRAVO!

Nick a really excellent piece of work I love the way you have captured the intensity of the subject, congratulations

Wow Nick, this one is DYNAMIC!!!! the swirlies and the flow of the dress are outstanding to say the least but i really, really like the intense and concentrated look on her face ...Gosh I love how the dress seems to vanish in all that motion

The painting is awesome, and I love the way it looks hanging on the wall. Love the "disintegrating" swirly skirt.

I have looked at this painting a long time since you've posted it and I've got to say that it certainly is my favorite of your Spanish dancer series. I didn't know if it was possible for you to outdo yourself on the fan in the original Zarzuela, or the confetti excitement of Tarentella, but you did it Sir! The white top half and the red bottom half. They are 'strung' together <pun intended> by the sweeping strings which bring the eye down, the delicate red tones of her hairpiece and the inner portion of the fan which unite it as one piece. This painting simply WORKS! This painting evokes movement to be sure, but I feel the pulsation of her feet stomping, the pain of her flexed muscles and arched back, and the drama so well expressed in her face. I could go on for pages about this painting,The confetti splatterings are a given as are her lips. NO ONE captures a woman's lips like you do Nick! However, what really rocks my world with this piece is how you have done the background. The placment of the lighter portion near her face -- genius.

I couldn't pretend to know how to analyze the brilliance of this piece... So, I'll just tell you how much I like it... that I feel you've painted *passion*... that the swirling movement makes me feel as though I could be drawn into the vortex of the confetti and strings... THIS is why magazines, TV personalities and Galleries are beating a path to your door...

Passion, drama, great words to use to describe this painting! BRILLIANT is the BEST!!
Such intensity, on her face, in her body, in the use of the red and black/darks. And then, the light touch, the dance of the ribbons, slicing across the dark. The downward look of her focus keeps our focus in line with the angles of her arm, chest, fan, dress.

Wonderful! Truly a pleasure to view.

Nick, Like they say in those VW commercials... "HOLY..."!!!!!!! That was my first and most honest reaction to this incredible piece of art. I love the way you've done the figure/flesh in this one, so 3-dimensional yet soft and beautiful. The comp, the skirt, the motion... you really think all these things through for every piece, don't you. What's thrilling to me is the variety of treatments you use for various elements yet they all pull together in the end. It makes for a visual feast.
spectacular Nick, spectacular!!

Nick, I don't feel qualified to comment on your incredible painting since I've been painting in watercolor for only a year, but I just had to add my two cents... This one really grabbed me. IMHO, you have truly captured lightning in a bottle here.


Hi Nick, after all the well justified superlatives above, it's hard to think of something new... but they are really well deserved. The painting is beautiful and very striking and very full of music and dance. The white lines and the disintegrating skirt give it a swirl, her pale face is so intense (recalling Spanish art for me--they always paint such cool pale faces) and the pose gives it the tension.... I love the colored bits in her blouse and the confetti in the background. What hit me first is the unusual (for you, I think) combination of realistic rendering of the body and the more abstract work elsewhere. It works so very well here. ... makes the dancer physically present in a way. You said before you want to combine abstract and representational stuff... Here they seem more separated than in your other work....but it works wonderfully well. Is that though where you are going?

I absolutely LOVE this - the vibrancy of the colours are amazing - and the way the skirt disintegrates giving the sense of the 'swirl' yet her upper body retains the rigidity needed for this most difficult yet fascinating dance

Nick I love the concentration in her face and the dress is a stroke of genius. I love looking at your posts you explain in a manner that helps me and all on here.

Love it, Nick
You never disappoint me!
I love the way you have designed the composition to accentuate the swirl of the dance
What a super setting for it too
Keep the steam coming off those brushes

The movement and that fantastic red really sums it up for me!

Nick what I like about this (besides the size) is the way you have expertly captured a fleeting moment...like a waterfall or a fast flowing stream..here it is, that gorgeous dress and her beautiful blouse caught in a moment! Your use of color amazes me and I have to say I do like the increased detail in the facial area and with the hair (as compared to the figure in La Tarentella) I find it gives me more time to enjoy her obvious beauty and I don't have to figure so much out (there is still so much to enjoy here). The whippy lines...such a cool thing to do. The dress is well...couldn't find a superlative for THAT!

You have accomplished so much and the recognition is coming your way faster than a speeding bullet. Well deserved my friend. Your work is absolutely stunning!

Words fail me....I'll just stare some more.......

I think this is one of your best paintings to date. You have captured movement and passion. One thing that really stikes me is how the passion in her face is almost pain. I bet a lot of people can identify with that. How the desire to do what they love is so strong it almost hurts. You've captured that here. But what impresses me most isn't related solely to this painting. What gets me is how all of your work is so original. It is unique in every sense of the word. That is some accomplishment.
Excellent painting, Nick. That skirt is amazing. Your style is especially effective on a movement piece like this. Her pale, almost blue skin creates great drama, especially against the dark backgorund.
Excellent painting- incredible, awesome.

Nick, I keep coming back to this... dear Lord, I wish I could paint like you. I have brush envy.

Hear! Hear!...Your work is outstanding! I look and think "One couldn't get much better than this" ...but you do Nick! Every time!

You are a master of Watercolors and the Guitar.

I'm a little late getting here and I agree with all the superlatives already stated. You are a true original. Love the close up shots of the early stages - would like to see more.

Phenomenal as usual . You never cease to amaze me....one can only aspire. Guess I need to start painting again!!!

Constantly come back to admire this painting--doesn't get much better than this!!!! Your paintings are SUCH an inspiration to me--thanks so much for showing us the beginning stages and the close-ups...FANTASTIC!!! Patiently waiting for your next masterpiece...

Another Great Masterpiece. May I ask you, when did you develop your own style? And how did you come about it? I'd love to know that information about you.. Please?

WOW, that's one amazing close up with the dress.

fabulous !! ... love the treatment of the dress and the impression of movement

BIG BANG, some merry blues and BIG KRUNCH. lets have a lilltle dignity in the process. Very very nice....yes I hear that melody

My daughter who has studied Spanish culture quite avidly fell in love with this piece! I knew she would when I showed it to her.

This painting is a 10! WOW!! awesome job, and what a perfect setting

Por Dios.... que placer contar con un maestro de esta categoria entre nosotros, conozco la obra de Nicholas y es maravillosa.

Pues lleva razón Oli.He visto la página de este gran artista y coincido que es un gran honor para todos nosotros que esté aquí,con nosotros.

Bienvenido a Hispacuarela, Nicholas. Ya nos lo dice Orlando, pero no hace falta nada más que ver la acuarela para ver en ella la mano de un auténtico maestro. Te felicito por tu trabajo y siento no poder hacerlo en inglés (espero que alguién te traduzca).

agradable sorpresa .......tremenda obra .......bienbenido amigo Nicholas

Bienvenido Nicholas. Un placer contemplar tu acuarela de presentación. Una auténtica belleza llena de movimiento y matices.

!amazed , !dodge ...!Sin palabras!

Hola Nicholas, bienvenido a hispacuarela, y esperamos sigas mostrándonos tus trabajos... tu acuarela es muy hermosa, felicitaciones.

Bueno Nicolás,no se alfinal que te habré dicho,pero quiero decirte,que estamos felices de ver un pintor tan bueno en nuestro grupo,espero que compartas muchas obras con nosotros,te doy las gracias por lo que hablas de España,se ve que te gustan nuestros maestros en música como Manuel de Falla,(no tienes mal gusto),saludos.
Hola Nicolas, has conseguido expresar muy bien la emoción del momento, ese lamento que rasga el aire como un cuchillo, no entiendo ingles, pero creo saber lo que has escrito. Me ha gustado mucho tu trabajo.
Enhorabuena.

Well, I speak a little english, so I'll try to be understood as well I can. I just want to tell you that I have seen some of your paintings and I liked very much. I think that this is a great tradicional (more or less) watercolor, but I want you to show us some piece of your wonderful non-tradicional watercolors. In this website there are a lot of people that enjoy abstract watercolors. And you are an expert in that.

TU OBRA ES MAGNIFICA Y ES UN PLACER TENERTE ENTRE NOSOTROS.

Bienvenido a Hispacurela y gracias por compartir este cuadro con nosotros, espero te encuentres agusto y nos deleites con mas obras de arte.

Hello Nicholas. Welcome to our forum. I believe that we are going to learn very much witht those wonderful watercolors. I hope that you share with us your secrets.

BIENVENIDO NICK!!!!!!
Hola Hispas, es un enorme placer haber logrado finalmente incorporar a Nick al Foro, estoy seguro difrutaran no solo su ARTE en mayusculas sino su excelente compañia y generosodad a la hora de compartir consejos y leer sus acertadas criticas. Conozco a Nick de Wet Canvas y es un artista merecidamente consagrado, realiza Workshops y expone en el mundo. Sus obras tienen una cotizacion que derriba el mito de que las acuarelas velen menos que los oleos. Es ademas un tipo encantador y un fabuloso musico. Pero por sobre todas las cosas es humilde y participativo. Muy contento de tenerlo entre nosotros.

Que me perdi!!!!! He estado una semana sin internet, y volver a entrar a este sitio y encontrarme semejante obra!!!! Por Dios que placer. Es un genio de la acuarela.
Mis sinceras felicitaciones y......nada, no se puede decir nada. Solo MARAVILLOSA!!!!!

Bienvenido, Nicholas! Es un placer encontrarte en Hispacuarela. He disfrutado mucho con cada una de las acuarelas de tu web. Creo que vamos a aprender un montón de un artista como tú.

Gracias por compartir ésta con nosotros.

Fantástica, preciosa, una maravilla. Bienvenido Nicholas.

WELCOME NICHOLAS TO HISPACUARELA, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE TO A MASTER AS YOU, I THINK YOU HEREM IT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND GREETINGS FROM ANDEAN PERUVIANS

This flamenco ballerina is a masterpiece,how fortunate are we fellow members to have you here.I also admire the music of Falla.The gesture of the ballerina interprets what don Manuel composed with his gorgeous music

Zarzuela II

This is a masterpiece ! I find no words for it.

I am totally in love with these paintings. Thank you for sharing.

Absolutely Gorgeous Nick!

Hi, Nicholas. Wonderfoul, spectacular. It transmits force.

Having witnessed your Spanish dancers come to life the past few years, and having been blown away by them, I have a suggestion. How about a grand-scale panorama? (on the order of 80" x 32") When I think of the setting, I envision three things: the main dancer, the side dancers/stage, and the audience. A panorama would place us completely inside the setting that is electric, dramatic (classical sense), sexy, smoky, even a bit dangerous. The main dancer commands the room, placing the audience completely in her thrall, and I want to see the depth of that command. There is action, focus, brilliance, darkness, crescendo, silence... a range of visuals and emotions depending on where you look. I want the hair on my neck to stand up as it would were I actually there.
I think this subject, while approached masterfully in your work to date, if approached on an even grander scale could be a definitive masterwork (at least for this subject and maybe this style of painting). I think it would take every bit of your skill - from planning to prototypes to the sheer volume of work required for the final piece - but could end up being your masterpiece. And, I dare say, your last Spanish dancer painting, due to exhaustion.

YOUR flamenco paintings to date have, through various ways, placed the viewer *inside* the action; which, to me is a much more interesting place to be. You are really onto something when you stylize the action, the gestures... something that only our modern exposure to abstract art, comic books (which are explicit with action lines, exaggeration, and the like) and cinema verite (which places the camera inside the action) have pushed us to imagine. Yours have a dreamlike quality, an interpretive quality that is more like a compressed-time memory. Backgrounds merge with foregrounds... details come and go. And aren't memories more representative of the real thing, even if the details aren't as exact as a photo? This is where your statement about "rewriting history" isn't quite right - Sargent recorded the scene as he saw it, you could record the scene as you felt and remember it. Perhaps that's the barrier, or one of them, to break?

Gorgeous!!! I love the dancer on the right. You've given all 3 of them such elegance and movement. I'm hearing the music and want to dance with them. Lovely job!!!!

Beautiful Nick - I honestly think that any crop from this painting would make a wonderful painting in its own right.

Outstanding work!!!

Giclees of this would sell big time.....$$$$$!!!!!

Always delighted when your work appears on the front page. It should have a permanent place there.

The dark background with the red dress really makes it pop. Plus the way you handled painting her makes it appear she is moving (as she should be).Another outstanding job.

Have I ever told you that I LOVE this one? NOOO? I'm happy to tell it NOW!!!

Vibrant work Nicolas, very interesting the work in fund and ended, powerful, alive colors. He praises work.

I'm loving it!!!

this is a movement of grace and color. The dark negative spaces make it for me

Stunning is the first word that comes to mind. I think you're right about the dancer on the right. Very powerful in her own right. But together WOW.

Wow! A great painting!

Excellent Nick, what a wonderful smile you've captured, this is class

Great composition Nick! Amazing how much those whippy lines add to the whole scene! Great movement and rhythm.And yes the dancer on the right could be a stand alone painting! Great work as usual!

Super comp, Nick. I love where you've positioned the fan. Also, the echoing of those solarized looking shapes in the dresses within the background is brilliant -- how'd you come up with that?! Almost feels like the dancers are on fire (not in a literal sense). Very, very cool!

I love this painting. TRULY spectacular. Nick, you are one talented guy.......are you sure you're not kin to Leonardo DaVinci? Wonderful!!!! MAGNIFICENT!

Nick , It's Sensational as I told you when I saw it first . The Triangle formed in the pattern is right out of the Old masters .The Echo of the arms in the 2 back figures ties it all up, The Negative spaces have movememt and are divine and the Diagonal of the fan behind the COI holds your eye in right there Brilliantly . The changes to each corner divide the space and the top third is interesting with just the whippy lines which I find amazing . Now I 'm going ot look at it upside- down to see what you are up to there. It is a Masterpiece.......I hope you will sell it for Big Bucks or win a Huge Prize with it !

Super painting, so alive and vibrant.

Beautiful painting Nick! Love the lady in the middle. The lady on the left makes me think of someone just coming out of the wings to join the dance. I have the impression that she's not in the spotlight yet so that's why her costume is not as brilliant in color. That's how the story goes in my head anyway.

A very impressive painting! You do outstanding work

Nick, you're so VERY free and brave with color! I just love seeing your paintings. You get the feel that the viewer is right there in the excitement of creation. Your energy is SO much there in the painting. Thats a very, very good thing!

Awesome Nick. The far right dancer is a total KO...great movement and wow the very feminine curve! The whole works beautifully, includin' the "flatter" woman. You threw the heat with this.

I think it's my absolute favorite of all your paintings (which should make it easy--lots and lots of clappies) I love the shapes and all that red is gorgeous and the gracefulness and pride of all the three dancers is phenomenally caught even though the bodies and dresses merge and move... It's just beautiful and I could look for a very very long time...I just LOVE the whole painting. Something amazingly classic about it

This is sheer, sheer magic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As I said in my email you will be a great star in the art world one day

Yes this is a masterpiece again. Love particulary the composition in it. Great great great ...

I don't want to repeat everyone and myself but you keep raising the bar, superlatives lose their meaning after a while. To me this one is a progression from the first Zarzuela, there's a level of elegance and sophistication in palette and design that puts your work in a place of it's own Nick. The play of form and space with tone and colour is very exciting, pulls the viewer into the action rather than sitting back as a mere observer. The compostion is exemplary. That jewel of red on the left dancer is a masterstroke

Nick, I don't really know what to say! Everyone else has said it all! It is an absolutely wonderful painting and I keep going back and looking again and again.I don't really want to analyse..I just want to enjoy! I really love it!

The woman on the right would make an excellent painting on her own. As she is in this painting , she is magnificent with her womanly shape

I think this is marvelous....so much movement and excitement..you've really captured the dance!
It's sure is nice to see one of your amazing works again Nick. It is spectacular!!

Your work is SPECTACULAR of a caliber that most of us strive for but probably will never reach, and I always love looking at it....and looking at it....and looking at it again.....

Beautiful! A celebration of woman!

Stunning! What else can I say?

Hey Nick! I loved the first Zarzuela - I thought it was exciting and evocative and dynamic. This painting - the updated and 'bettered' version is stunning!!!

I am speechless!!! Nothing else to say .... I'm heading back for another look now! Do you EVER paint a not so spectacular painting? I think not! Excellent work, as usual! I think you already ARE a great star!!! Many clappies from me--BRAVO!!!!! Can't wait to see more; such a treat to the eyes.

Splendid!!! (Yet again!)

It is one of those paintings that takes you through the entire thing and back again, circling over it like a plane that would rather circle than land. You have done an excellent job of shaping the fan to carry you there, then into the girls and back to the fan. I find it a super painting and would think that any area of it might stand alone if carefully planned. You know me. I am a sucker for Nick Simmons paintings.Fantastic painting, wonderful use of colors ... I can hear the music from here....BRAVO, THUMBS UP!!!!!

This is stunning, elegant, festive, sophisticated , full of joy and movement. Great distribution of colors and shapes , repetiton of (parabolic) shapes.....It just fits and works, goes beyond depicting and has it’s own integrity

Nick: What a visual feast!! What's not to like? Each woman is dynamic in her own right...together they work beautifully. I'm trying to learn proper composition. I see that the lady on the left's arm leads right to the COI and the fan cradles her head. Even though the lady on right has her arm going out the page, her pronounced fanny curves right back to the center. My favorite part? The pinks in the dress of the girl on the left. I don't know why...just is.

Are you related to Sargent? Or just born on his birthday or what? This has GOT to be genetics. Normal people just don't have this kind of genius!

The movement, superb! The beauty, I feel everyone who views would agree there is "oh, so much" beauty here. The self confidence in brushwork, admirable! The freedom of your expression, oh! how I long to own it! So much candy for the imagination to feast on! Standing ovation!

Whatever it is, this is an awesome painting. The way the girl's (in the detail) hair blends into her neck is one small treat among many. Love the fan, and how you manage to connect the dresses and make it seem so perfect! I can really squint at this and see so many of the things from so many of your other works in this one. Over here is a bit of Koi and over there, a glimpse of a wasted rose..... it's chock full of good stuff and is a wonderful compilation of your distinct and signature style.Wowiezowie, Nick! This one is splendid. I love the color and the movement and the LIFE in this. The left hand dancer is wonderful. I think the one in the middle looks like Olga! I love the way you've blended the dresses and the colors and the very feminine curves. I love the background and the way I keep looking at the shapes and seeing different things there. Bravissimo!

Just beautiful Nick. There is so much rhythm and movement that I expect them to start twirling at any minute

This is a truly beautiful and very exciting painting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

big! should be experienced irl. reminds me of the fractals in chaos theory, how you can zoom in or out and there's always something beautiful and interesting...

I like comments re fractals, a subject that seems to come to mind when thinking about WATERcolour which this painting certainly is.

What I find particularly ironic is the fact that there are few if any watercolourists on this forum or anywhere as far as i have seen who wholly embrace the fluidity of the medium as Nick does. Runbacks, cauliflowers, accidentals of every nature that many would consider the ruination of a painting, Nick has turned into a unique and beautiful aesthetic. Something impossible to repeat or emulate.I find the motivation and inspiration(not to mention the ideas) gained from experiencing Nick's work one of the most valuable artistic revelations I've had the pleasure come by in my watercolour life.

As usual, I'm very late getting to your thread, and dang if the pages haven't flipped so I can't readily see the painting as I type now. I've had several long ponderings over this painting, and just when I don't think you can outdo yourself you go and prove me wrong. I don't mind, I like it when you leap over the bar you set with each painting.Not only have I looked long and hard at this painting, but I've been flipping back and forth between the original Zarzuela. I am hard pressed to find a favorite. I will always love how you did the fan on the first one, and I miss the yellow on the face of the middle dancer. However, version II does show a definite refineness in the overall composition. The noise of the background people are gone and while it works in the first one, the swirls of white more than make up for their absence in the second.The eye candy for me is the confetti colors of the splatters.I forgot to mention the fan-shaped eyelashes of the middle dancer. Very clever!

I think the more detailed background in the first works great and then the lost background in this version is more than made up for with those "whippy lines"---that is such a cool thing to do. Also the confetti is just spectacular and just adds to the breathtaking activity in this one! I love the figure on the left, don't know why, just do!

On another subject, Nick, I have to say I have tried some of your techniques (only because you share them so gratiously and openly that even a very new watercolorist can try some new approaches beyond the traditional approach). To be able to use these techniques and enjoy expanding my knowledge at warp speed I am forever grateful for your generosity.I have learned a huge amount while participating in this forum from a lot of great artists but you seem to just take a chainsaw to every established norm and present a different way of looking at things. It is always a cerebral experience when you're threads are