By Cole Tracy Milton, MA- George Nick, one of the pre-eminent American realist painters, has been doing the same work, painstakingly, since the abstract-expressionists were reigning in the 1960s; a collection of his self-portraits is on view at the Nesto Gallery at Milton Academy through December 13. Behind the work, there is an intense ideology of painting from reality. His images are definitive of this: the brushstrokes are swift and visible in most of the paintings; his name and date are etched into a corner of the image, added while the paint was still wet. It is clear each of the paintings was made in one sitting. Nick’s face changes little but the light quality as well as his perception led him to create many varying images of his own face. By painting from reality, he forces himself to focus on his perceived reality with intensive ardor. There are several excerpts of … [Read more...] about George Nick: A Lifetime of Self-Portraits at Nesto Gallery