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B.
Nicole Klassen
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B. Nicole Klassen first knew she wanted to be an
artist when, as a youngster in school, she became intrigued by the
classic paintings she saw in her history books. “I remember all those
fabulous pictures of conquistadors and great places and knew that I
wanted to paint them,” she says with the same enthusiasm today that
she must have felt then.
From her earliest recollections it was art that seduced
and eventually won her over. “I worked as a front desk clerk at a
hotel while going to college,” she says of the early days when she
attended San Jose University. “I made just enough money to survive and
paint on the side. That way I could attend class in the day and work the
swing shift at the hotel.”
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Her enthusiasm and obvious talent attracted the
interest of one of her art instructors, M.D. Stewart, who recommended
her to his friend, Bob Semans. Semans, an accomplished West Coast
artist, provided the individual guidance a promising young talent would
need to advance. “I studied with Bob one night a week for a couple
years,” she said. “He taught me just about everything I know. He was
a fabulous teacher.”
While not yet earning a living at her chosen
profession, Klassen says she was still able to sell some of her work,
and the sales motivated her to continue painting more aggressively.
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"Five
Senses", 16" x 20", o/c, © by B.
Nicole Klassen
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In 1986, she decided to take advantage of an offer
to go abroad and explore her interest in art. She visited Germany,
Italy, and France for the sheer enjoyment of doing what she loves doing
best, “visiting museums and galleries,” on what she is quick to
admit was “a very low budget trip”.
“I traveled with a friend and visited as many places
as I could squeeze in during my visits. Actually, I took three weeks off
from college and made the trip. We had free tickets,” she recounts
with a knowing laugh that suggests good-humored mischief. Eventually,
driven by the desire to paint full time, and inspired by what she had seen while
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in Europe, Nicole made the
decision to quit college and commit all her energies to being an artist.
By 1993, she was painting full time, mostly still
life, about eleven or so paintings a year. Working from a converted
bedroom that is now a studio in a home that she shares with her husband,
Pat, Ms. Klassen says she tries to complete one painting a month
depending on complexity, preferring oil on canvas because of the feel
and texture of the canvas, but occasionally using acrylic on board.
While she paints, she says, it’s not
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"Tradewinds",
24" x 36"", o/c,
© by B.
Nicole Klassen
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uncommon for her to listen to
classical music or paint to the gravelly voice of jazz artist Tom Waits.
In addition to her music, Ms. Klassen says she is almost always
accompanied by, “Guillermo”, a 16lb cat that she adopted from the
Humane Society eight years ago, and whom she affectionately refers to as
“Mo”.
As for duplicating the work of the Flemish masters she admires,
Klassen says that her own work tends to be more traditional, “although
I adore Vermeer”. A B. Nicole Klassen painting today is a truly
magnificent work of
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original art taken from settings she meticulously
arranges herself. Almost as if rebelling against the garish splashes of
color that mark so much of modern art, each Klassen piece is a subtle
statement of perfection and exactitude, set against complex background
tapestries that enhance rather than overwhelm her main subjects. One
look at her work and the discriminating buyer knows he or she is looking
at the work of a master artist who is on the brink of perfection.
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Even her occasional tributes to others, such
as her “Country Dance” which is a remarkable spin-off of
William Harnett’s 1886 painting, “The Old Violin” show an
ability to duplicate without being cheesy. In a word, Klassen’s
offerings are enriching in their own right, even when based on
another’s work.
When I asked the artist what inspired her
most when she undertook a painting, she surprised me with her
answer. “It’s the art of others that inspires me most”, she
says. Viewing their work makes her want to paint more though she
admits, as do most artists, that the drive to paint doesn’t
always come easy. “I have days when I don’t understand what I
want, and days when I know exactly what I have to do. On those
days when I’m not sure,” she opines |
"Country
Dance", 20" x 16", o/c,
© by B.
Nicole Klassen
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philosophically, “I
go out and work in the garden for a while, then I come
back and begin again.”
Although her art is clearly the work of an
accomplished professional and her style is unique to her, Klassen says
that she’s constantly striving to improve. “Five years from now, I
want to do what I’m doing now, but do it better,” she says, summing
up in a few words the enormous undertaking she has set for herself, for
to improve on her level of perfection and attention to detail is going
to be a daunting task.
Consider this
accolade:
“Her stunning works of art exhibit masterful
composition of technical virtuosity. Each of her evocative paintings
displays carefully placed brush strokes that capture the light,
textures, and mood of her subjects.” So states a promotion piece
prepared by the owners of Winstanley-Roark Fine Arts Gallery where
Nicole is currently represented.
The artist says she met the Roarks on a chance
mailing.
“About three years ago I was reading American
Art Review magazine and saw an ad for their gallery on the Cape. I
sent them a letter and some slides of my work, and have been with them
ever since.”
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"Venus",
24" x 20", o/c,
© by B.
Nicole Klassen
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Although she lives in California, Nicole says
her work seems to be more popular on the East Coast than on the
west coast, where bold colors, abstract art and impressionism seem
to sell best. But that doesn’t matter, to her. The East Coast,
which she equates with the quiet California town of Mendocino, is
where her art sells, and where she is establishing a name for
herself, locally and nationally. Her work is so good that gallery
owners Bob and Anita have featured her paintings in both Cape
Cod Life and American Art Review, to introduce others
to their gallery. Their confidence in her ability to attract buyers to the gallery tells you something about the high quality of work
she produces.
B. Nicole Klassen has truly arrived, and art lovers
everywhere are richer because of her contributions. Not too long from
now art collectors who view her work today will be saying: I wish I had
bought her work when I could have afforded it. Her art is a true
investment. |
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