Meet Nick Chavez
Bio
I was born in El Paso, Texas and raised in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. I first came to Alaska in 1967 while serving in the Army as a Medic. When my enlistment ended in 1969 I decided to make Alaska my home because I fell in love with the landscape and all the beautiful Alaskan wildlife. Even after 35 years, Alaska provides me with a never ending array of subjects to paint.
Influences
I am primarily self-taught. My vision of Alaska has been shaped by the work of great painters of the Far North like Sidney Lawrence, Rusty Heurlin, Fred Machetanz and Bill Engles. I am also a great admirer of the Hudson River School paintings of the 19th Century.
Media
My two-dimensional
works are primarily acrylics. For mixed media pieces I combine acrylic
paint, watercolor, oil and gouache. I paint on canvas, watercolor paper,
masonite, wood panels and most resently, sand paper.
The miner's gold pan has inspired generations of Alaskan artists by the
depth and rigidity of its surface and symbolic value as a utilitarian
object. My 3D Gold Pans
are unique anywhere in the world. They include sculptural elements created
using found objects, silicone, epoxy and liquid nails mixed with acrylic
paint. They range in diameter from two inch miniatures to a monumental
36 inches.
Subjects
My work can be classed in six main categories: Landscapes, Wildlife, Human Portraits, Pet Portraits, Abstracts, and 3D Gold Pans .
Shows
My paintings have been displayed in the National Gallery in Washington D.C., galleries in Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico, the Bear Gallery and New Horizons Gallery in Fairbanks, Alaska, and the Alaska State Gallery in Juneau, Alaska.
Pricing and Contact Information
Paintings
and Multi-Media
My original works are priced between $75 and $1,500 depending on size
and complexity.
Prints
You may order 8x10 prints of any of my paintings. These are reproduced
on high quality photo paper, canvas paper or watercolor paper. Unframed
prints are $12.00 each or matted and mounted in a 11x14 inch frame for
$75.00. I will soon issue a series of limited edition prints of my most
popular paintings. If you have questions about my existing work or are
interested commissioning a painting, you may email me at:
nickchavez@alaska.net
Or by regular mail at: