What people are saying about Nelson's work


Boren's viewpoint is wholesome and humorous, yet his art is vital. He is one of the best watercolorists in the business. He is in perfect control. His strong, translucent shadows are uncanny in their ability to both absorb and reflect light. 
(Michael Duty & Suzanne Deats in WESTERN TRADITIONS - Contemporary artists of the American West, 2005)






Nelson Boren has developed a distinctive trademark style. Boren's watercolors present an intimate, close-up view of the life and trappings of the modern American cowboy. His large-scale compositions give insight into an unfamiliar lifestyle and create a singular mood. 'I enjoy capturing the weathered look of old leather and rusty spurs', he says. 'I see history in these elements of cowboy life.'  
(Donald J. Hagerty, LEADING the WEST, One Hundred Contemporary Painters and Sculptors, 1997)






We can practically hear the creaking leather and smell the musty, oily aroma of gloves and gear as the callused hide goes soft in the hands of this industrious cowboy. That Boren manages to imply a story with his faceless cowpuncher is merely a bonus
(U.S. Art magazine, Feb/March 2001)





Nelson tries with these subjects to capture emotions about them, prompting viewers to imagine the rest. 
(Don Hagerty, LEADING the WEST)



Boren has a gift for locating the gist of any situation by zeroing in on a seemingly irrelevant vignette. Who else would notice Black-eyed Susans with most of their petals gone, languishing on the ground near a lovesick cowboy? She loves me...she loves me not...she loves me! Good news indeed for a bashful cowboy in need of some courage.  
(Michael Duty & Suzanne Deats, WESTERN TRADITIONS)








Many of the scenes I paint today are inspired by my high school years when I worked summers on a ranch. I hauled hay, fixed fences, helped doctor cattle, and learned that cowboys are honest, hardworking men. I still feel that way and try to paint them with both the humility I experienced and with the history that has made the American cowboy and icon   (Nelson Boren)








The medium here is handled so deftly, the illusion of texture and the third dimension so complete, that I'm amazed. Standing back from the painting, I can't help but smile.  
(Nancy Ellis - South West Art magazine, March 1994)











There's a story in the sassy stance of the wearer of these outrageous boots... Suddenly I laugh out loud, knowing that I've been challenged by Nelson Boren to complete the picture for myself.  
(Nancy Ellis - South West Art magazine, March 1994)







Yet, with Boren's bold, layered colors and diligent attention to detail, two pairs of interacting boots evoke the story of the people wearing them.  
(U.S. Art magazine, October 1999)



Boren's watercolors feature intricate, close-up details of cowboy boots, spurs, chap-covered legs, or gloved hands holding a rope.   (Donald J. Hagerty, LEADING the WEST)









Shadows and negative space are the organizing elements in the Boren paintings. He frequently washes away the setting in a dazzling sweep of white that throws the subject into sharp relief. His strong, translucent shadows are uncanny in their ability to both absorb and reflect light.  
(Michael Duty & Suzanne Deats, WESTERN TRADITIONS)