By Bonnie Gangelhoff
Nicole Desmond finds inspiration in the multicultural faces and figures she views every day on the bustling streets of New York City. Her model for LILLIAN is of Thai and German heritage, she says. “She is very lithe with a torso that is tremendously long,” Desmond explains. “I like the way she is relaxed yet with a pensive look. You wonder, what could she be thinking about?”
Figurative painting is Desmond’s primary interest. She recently finished taking classes at the Art Students League of New York, where she studied with Harvey Dinnerstein and Sharon Sprung. Desmond now paints full time and describes her works as classical realism. “I want to capture what I am seeing but also take it to a different level so the viewer isn’t just seeing a picture but also getting a feeling from it,” says the artist. Desmond says she finds painting a continual challenge and that her goal is to make every painting better than the last one. See more of her work at www.nicoledesmond.com.
Featured in our annual “21 Over 31” issue in November 2009