Robert Lyn Nelson
1955-Present

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One of America's foremost young artists, Nelson, can't remember when he didn't paint. Born in Upland California in 1955, his father was an artist who began teaching Nelson to draw at the age of four. When most youngsters are still struggling through ninth grade, Robert Lyn Nelson was awarded a full scholarship to Mount San Antonio College in Pomona, California. Less than two years later his paintings were selling for hundreds of dollars.

Like many contemporary artists, Nelson experimented with abstract art, but found that it was cold and unfulfilling. He finally turned to realism and found that it allowed him to paint truer visions of life. Being an outdoors person, his paintings now reflected his natural interest in nature.

From his love of the sea came wonderful whales and dolphins, which earned him an international reputation. He was the first fine artist to focus on marine life. Nelson developed the innovative and popular "two-worlds" image, which has been widely imitated. Nelson's view of the world around him is as distinct as his style. He may combine ocean life from different parts of the world, or add stars and planets to complete an image. All become properties of his imagination. The details of his "underwater-scapes" come alive with the color of exotic fishes, plant life and natural light. You can almost hear the whale songs or catch a glimpse of the giant sea turtles as it glides silently through the water.

Nelson says, "My aim is to cause a reaction in the viewer when they look at my work. I want them to have an emotional response that comes close to the way I feel when I'm actually painting. I'm not satisfied just being a painter. I want to say something about the world, something about our environment. I'm trying to make people aware of this world that is quickly disappearing before we know what was here."

Robert Lyn Nelson is an avid conservationist with memberships in The Cousteau Society, Pacific Whale Foundation, Greenpeace, The National Audubon Society and the National Geographic Society. Several of his works have been created specifically for these organizations. His paintings are found in many well-known private and corporate collections, as well as displayed in the New York Museum of Natural History.