About

Nathaniel Underwood received his BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design and MFA in Painting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Upon graduation, Underwood served as an adjunct professor at the Columbus College of Art and Design, teaching figurative painting, color theory, drawing anatomy and structure and two dimensional design.

Today, Underwood works as an artist, illustrator and educator. He is also the founder and organizer of the Open Figure Painting Sessions at the Ohio Art League. Drawing inspiration from nature with perception being the absolute foundation of his practice, Underwood's creative pursuit is stimulated by viewing the world in an objective manner. Represented by Sharon Weiss Gallery, his work can be found in numerous private collections including the Weaver Foundation N.C. and the Ohio University Eastern.

Statement

My work reveals the miraculous within the seemingly banal. A painting may describe the steady quiet of a silent hallway, or the fleeting moment of warm reflection from a descending sun on an unassuming house. I often portray lack of human presence in my interior work: how objects, occurrences, and scenes exist before and after we pass through them. My work strives to observe objectively and to capture and reflect truth. Each work may communicate a different observed truth. The marked surface may retain the materiality of paint or destroy its physical identity. My strategy is open, and I attempt to evolve as an artist with each panel.

My studio practice typically involves representation of actual observed spaces through analytical and objective questioning. My subjects include figuration, interior scenes, and urban landscapes. While documenting the quality of a place or moment in time, or portraying an observed figure, I am also visually capturing the conscious decisions of my making process. Sometimes my work preserves acts of measuring or constructing form. My painting and drawing strategy is not a means to an end but a method of personal discovery, research, and invention. Through observation, I hope to gain a better understanding of how I relate to the seen world 

Nathaniel’s Illustration work can be found here: https://www.underwood-illustration.com/