Riki R. Nelson is an American oil painter whose work often depicts portraits of jazz musicians, bar interiors, and urban street scenes. Her style incorporates elements of realism and surrealism. She works primarily in traditional oil-based media.
Her paintings have included portrayals of jazz performers and other musicians, and her work has been displayed in exhibitions and art galleries in California. Some of her pieces depict bar scenes with symbolic or archetypal imagery, as well as plein air landscapes of the California coastline.
Early life and background Nelson was born in Downey, California and grew up in both Downey and the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the daughter of Pearl and Ray Nelson and has a younger brother, Eric R. Nelson. Nelson began painting and drawing in childhood and was influenced by her mother's interest in the arts and the family's fine art and antique business.
Career During the 1980s and early 1990s, Nelson worked as an art consultant and sales manager in several fine art galleries, including Dyansen Gallery in Carmel, Chabot Gallery in Campbell, and Martin Lawrence Gallery in San Jose. Since 2005, her work has been exhibited at the Peabody Fine Art Gallery in Menlo Park and Los Gatos.Current Gallery Representation: 2009 Peabody Fine Gallery, Los Gatos, Menlo Park Ca. http://www.peabodygallery.com/
Nelson has participated in charitable art events supporting organizations such as the Los Gatos Art Association, the American Pen Women, and Pacific Autism. She has also delivered talks to art groups about presenting work to galleries and the public.
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[2006 Art Business News Gallery Events section – photo and listing] National League of American Pen Women – Santa Clara Valley Chapter honoree 2005 – "Beauty in the Night, Scenes of the City", Peabody Fine Art Gallery of Los Gatos Peabody Fine Art Gallery – Current representation Neoteric Renaissance School of Art – studied under Lisa Silas, Matthew Riggs, and Johnathan Chorn Studied under portrait artists Linda Harris and Heidi Buckner