Introducing Nate Giorgio
From stunning portraits and cutting edge landscapes, to bold figurative paintings, this classic artist’s work reflects the ultimate in fine art. Collected by some of the worlds most influential people, Nate Giorgio’s paintings have been the subjects of exhibitions worldwide, with works residing in many significant private collections. If you wish to see the work of painter Nate Giorgio, you need look no further than the clamshell cover of The Michael Jackson OPUS, or the chapter openers, where his ink sketches of Michael have been reproduced. In 1984, he signed an exclusive contract to be singers personal artist and created dozens of paintings that were displayed in Jackson’s home and used on commercial projects around the world.
Quick Bio: An award winning artist known for his captivating artwork, Nate Giorgio is one of today’s most respected fine artists. He was born in Binghamton, New York and began his professional art career in New York City. Giorgio’s work is characterized by his extremely skillful technique and handling of color, greatly inspired by the legends in the art world such as Pablo Picasso, and the Italian Renaissance painters. Moving from one style to another, Giorgio conveys a wealth of inspiration and imagery, making his art unforgettable.
Giorgio’s boldly conceived landscape paintings show a deep reverence for nature with raw power, and he counts his gold and silver leaf landscapes as his most significant contributions to the world of art. His strongly modernist figurative drawings and paintings, mixing rich textures and metallic finishes, convey his unique vision and style as an unrivaled artist. Giorgio resides in Los Angeles, California, where he accepts private commissions and continues to exhibit and sell his work throughout the world.
Artist Statement:
Painting to me is about being spontaneous and expressive with a brush or medium to truly capture a mood or effect, the essence of a subject. I love to stand in front of my board with raw basic materials such as inks, oils, and graphite to create. An artist must try and reach “simplicity” in his art. This is why I constantly work on my figurative style of painting, stripping away unnecessary colors and strokes. I try and let the subject determine which medium or technique I’ll use, this keeps the art fresh from one painting to another. A great work of art should take the viewer to another place and time, this is what art is to me, a combination of skill and the ability to move the viewer.
Medium: When I create a painting I like to mix many different techniques and mediums. The combination of ink, oil, pastel, and watercolor give my work the style and originality I strive for. The most important thought in my mind when I’m painting is the work must be different from other artists, my art must be original and totally unique. I began my career learning how to paint in oils, gradually moving into watercolors, and later, acrylics. Oils have the rich, glowing, beautiful finish that is important to painters that you can’t find in other mediums, especially acrylic. Acrylic has a dull, flat finish, but is nice to work with when I’m trying to create a quick sketch or a thick, bold surface. The paint dries very quickly and still has an opaque or transparent look depending on how I mix them. I first started using the airbrush when I was 12 or 13 years old, and I still use it today as a tool. I never create an entire painting with the airbrush because I don’t care for the slick, fake look it creates, I always use it for simple highlights or certain effects like creating a soft background glaze to paint on top of, or to tint certain areas of a painting. It’s funny…the airbrush took an artist years to master back in the 80′s when no one had computers, and today an amateur can click a button in Photoshop for the same effect.
Surfaces: I love to work on paper as much as canvas and I consider my graphic, bold ink paintings some of my finest work. My technique is very different from other painters and I’m often asked how I get certain looks in my paintings. I feel it’s the combination of materials and techniques blended together that give my work this unique look. Probably my favorite surface to paint on is the thin Chinese rice paper. I love the look and soft tones I can get with inks and the way the rice paper dries. The surface has a marble look to it and the colors and tones are just incredible. Canvas is best for my landscapes because of the thick material I lay on the surface for my borders, I need a surface that is very tough and will hold the thick heavy paint.
My portrait paintings combine a variety of techniques I’ve been developing for years. I start by blocking in large soft transparent tones in ink or watercolor, followed by layers of color bringing out more detail from the background washes. Finally adding in more details with ink or body color with a variety of brushes. This is a technique that I developed from years of painting and comes very natural to me.