Nick Cruz Velleman

Washington, DC

Nick Cruz Velleman uses oil on canvas to create dramatic skyscapes, sunrises/sunsets, and masterwork reproductions done with a gestural and expressionist touch.

Despite being a Washington D.C. native, Nick's background in art comes from years of study and experience in France. On three separate occasions he lived in Aix-en-Provence to study at the Leo Marchutz School of Painting and Drawing, most recently in 2020 to complete his Master of Fine Arts degree. There he developed his eye and artistic touch by painting in the same landscapes as Paul Cézanne. Nick’s approach to art is steeped in France’s rich tradition of fine art.

Fun fact: Nick completes almost all of his work with his left hand despite being right-handed. This helps connect him more directly to his vision and intuition, and better reach a state of flow. The looseness of his left hand creates a signature vocabulary of brushwork that yields greater spontaneity and imbues significant emotion in his work.

”Art is anything that gives form to something that once didn't have form. Whether it's the natural light of a place, atmosphere, emotion, or a memory, it re-packages something once intangible or even unidentifiable in a way that makes you more aware of it.”