Capturing the Natural Moment

BY CHARLOTTE RUSSELL

Raleigh-based artist Nicole White Kennedy creates realistic oil paintings that capture the everyday moments of people living their lives. In her recent work, Summer BFF, Kennedy depicts a narrative of two best friends hanging out on the beaches of North Carolina, with their bodies blending into each other and the surrounding beach.

Her technical approach lends an impressionistic quality and a sense of movement for which she is well known. Kennedy brings her scenes to life by painting while the oil paint is still wet. This technique allows her to work with a limited color palette of six or seven colors, blending them into new hues. For Summer BFF she began with an abstract background that interprets the water and beach, using a palette knife, brush and dripping paint. This foundational layer allows her to build the figures on top while integrating the vibrant background colors into their skin tones. As she gradually constructs the painting, stroke by stroke, the scene begins to come together like magic.

This summer, Kennedy’s paintings will be featured in several exhibitions, including the Oil Painters of America’s National Juried Exhibit, the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society’s Spring Online International Juried Exhibition and the Blowing Rock Women’s Show, among others.

To view more of her work, visit her website, nicolestudio.com, or check out her Instagram, @nicolefineart and Facebook, @nicolewhite.kennedy.

“What attracts me the most is watching people in their environment, being spontaneous and capturing the moment and attitude—especially at North Carolina beaches or in street scenes.” — Nicole White Kennedy