Nathan Cain | artist – Oil Paintings and Sketches

hi, i'm nathan cain

Hi, I'm Nathan Cain

This is my self-portrait. I know. I know. I look a little stern, but don't worry. I'm not that way in real life. I was going for that "serious artist" look.

(Who the heck is Nathan Cain?)

Free Membership

Hi, I'm Nathan Cain

This is my self-portrait. I know. I know. I look a little stern, but don't worry. I'm not that way in real life. I was going for that "serious artist" look.

(Who the heck is Nathan Cain?)

Free Membership

Raise Your Eyes Up and See

Visualize this artwork on your wall:

Story

Once as a teenager, I went out in the country with a group of friends to watch a meteor shower. We laid on blankets and literally ooohed and “AWESOME”d for hours. I have been longing to see something like that again for probably 30 years.

My mother died of cancer on October 13th, 2017. Connecting with things bigger than myself, such as a night sky filled with stars has had a much-needed calming influence on me. Another thing that calms me is when I’m painting. When I get into “the zone”, time passes and I’m unaware of any pain or worries, which is why I’m sharing this artwork with you today.

Sunset From Plane

Story

My wife and I were watching the movie Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit a couple of weeks ago and there was a 2 or 3-second clip of a beautiful sunset as he flew in a plane to go save New York City. Silly subject for a painting? Yes, if it were actually about the movie. But why do we watch movies, really? My wife and I watch movies together because we love each other and want to spend time with each other and share an experience. There are lines from movies we have been quoting to each other for over 20 years and have become part of our special language that only we fully understand. What do you and your loved ones do that adds vocabulary or phrases to your special language?

26″ x 48″ Oil on board – $1200

Driving the Coast

Story

This landscape feels to me like it has elements of my home state, Arkansas, but also Maine and Alaska.

I live in Arkansas and I drive the highways all the time. Have you ever noticed how, when you snap a photo from a moving car, the foreground looks blurry but the distant scenery still looks good? I tried to emulate that in this painting. I used a 5-inch wide brush to swipe the foreground land and bushes to blur them out.

The ocean in the distance is inspired by our trip to Maine to visit friends. I wanted to get in the water, but it was too cold and the beach was too rocky anyway. (Can you even call it a beach if there isn’t sand?) But, ohh was it gorgeous there!

Maine seemed to have a lot of dark cloudy days. Or perhaps that is just the way it was the day we visited the ocean.

The mountains on the right side of the painting are inspired by another trip we took to Alaska to visit some other friends. We saw such beautiful snowy mountains! My wife and I looooove mountains! We also saw a bear with her cub and some moose!

The more prominent mountain, there on the other side of the lake, has purple snow because, well it is my painting, so I can have purple snow if I want to.

Process

I use M. Graham Artists’ oil paint because they are made with walnut oil instead of linseed oil. I’m intolerant or allergic to linseed oil. I prefer oil to acrylic because it doesn’t dry too fast. That way I can leave it and come back tomorrow and still manipulate it like no time has passed at all.

The medium is hardboard, which is a masonite type of material. Masonite is actually a brand name that has become the name for the thing like Kleenex is now the name everyone calls tissue. I like a board instead of canvas because I don’t like the way canvas gives under the brush. I like to be able to more easily scrape away paint to reveal the white underneath. And I don’t like the texture of the canvas to show through.

Besides brushes, I also use paper towels, scrapers, and other tools for added effects that would be difficult to get with just a brush.

Price

The price of this painting is $800. Contact me to arrange purchase.

Starlapse

Visualize this artwork on your wall:

Listen to this song while viewing the painting

Story

Sunset Behind Storm Front

I was driving home from a long day back in March 2019. Snapped a photo of a sunset with a cloud front at a very unusual angle. Finally got around to painting it at the end of September 2021. Now I’m wondering why don’t we see storm fronts coming in at similar angles more often.

Seeing things at “unusual angles” can be a true blessing. It can be rare to get to see things from a different perspective. I guess that’s why it is rare for us to change our opinion once we are set in our ways. But, we should seek out these opportunities and embrace them… for they are precious.

Sunset with reds, oranges, yellows, and blues. Storm front coming in at an ominous angle. Black, nighttime trees and road in the foreground.

Purple Storm

This impressionist landscape painting is inspired by an experience I had with my mother. We drove to the top of West Mountain in Hot Springs National Park. It was night and it began to storm as we sat parked at a scenic overlook. Each time the lightning crashed it lit up the sky in a bright flash of purple. We sat and watched for what seemed like hours. It was one of the greatest celestial experiences I’ve ever had.

Mom passed away a few years ago. I remember her each time I see purple in the sky, although I’ve never seen anything like what we saw that night.

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Uncle Gary

Self-Portrait #2

I took a selfie while I was visiting the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco (shown below) and liked the vibe (although it is a bit too serious for my normal personality).

Izzy Melizzy

Ernie

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