Nicholas Conte
About the Artist
Nicholas Conte (b. 2001) is a contemporary artist based in Santa Cruz, California. His primary medium is oil painting, and he specializes in plein air or alla prima impressionistic realism. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Conte moved up the coast to pursue an education in fine art from University of California, Santa Cruz. He continues to reside in Santa Cruz living as an artist and art educator.
Background
In spring of 2023, Conte transitioned from using acrylics in the studio to painting with oils outdoors. What began as a means to develop his skills transformed into a lasting passion for plein air painting. While attending UC Santa Cruz, Conte designed and built a personalized pochade box to further connect him to his artwork.
Conte earned his B.A. in fine art and psychology from UCSC in the fall of 2025. Since graduating, Conte has been teaching drawing and painting in private studios while continuing his own creative practice in Santa Cruz.
Inspiration
In his work, Conte enjoys painting close to home, as to capture a moment or feeling from his local environment. Santa Cruz is a perfect location for this. Within minutes he can draw direct inspiration from beautiful beaches, meadows, or forests.
Conte enjoys using his plein air practice as an opportunity to communicate the feelings he experiences while communing with nature.
Ambitions
Conte's primary goal as a painter is to express. Whether he's expressing an idea, a feeling, or something beautiful, he aims to do so gracefully and seamlessly. If you consider painting as a language, Conte wishes not just to be fluent, but to be poetic.
