Perry Brooks Nichols

Two weeks ago, I lost the best father a son could have, Christopher Perry Nichols (1938-2026). He was a friend, collaborator, and inspiration to many in the Dallas community as a teacher, theatre director, writer and playwright. I scanned this series of portraits of my father (and family) in roughly chronological order spanning from his childhood, his public school teaching years, his New Arts days, and visits to England and his brother’s land in Taos in the 90’s.

In today's studio news, I blended some shavings from my pigment sticks with some English Distilled Turpentine to lay in the 1st stages of the cameo for an abstract/color field version of the portrait of my father from his New Arts days. I'm reusing an old canvas from my college days that was an experimental abstract as well, so there's plenty of pentimento.

Things are gradually gearing up in the garage studio. I found these two oil paintings on paper from my 2002 Smu-in-Taos classes with Stephen Wilder deep in the flat files. I brushed the dust off with a little water, next step sign them and frame them.

Just a week ago my father, Christopher Perry Nichols, departed the terrestrial plane for a more peaceful abode. This portrait always hung in his study and haunted the dreams of my youth, much as I imagine Leopold Mozart mantled over his son Wolfgang’s mind. This stern, fierce, and focused visage was completely different from the warm-hearted, generous, and effusive dad I loved and knew, but I’m sure that many experienced this tempestuous side while he was stirring up the black boxes and boards of the Dallas theatre world during the 70s and 80s. This pic was taken by John E. Hall of the Dallas Times Herald at the height of his powers roosting over the New Arts Theatre Co.

The Oil Painter Has Risen! I've successfully gotten a functional painting studio flowing in my garage. First, I have to organize my flat files of older works, Pegasus paintings on paper shown. Also a view of the lovely Easter sunset from my favorite meditation spot.

"VI/XV, Artist's Proof," aquatint sugar lift etching by Zanne Hochberg, 1992. Once again I'm celebrating my earliest artistic mentor for Women's History Month. This piece showcases her mastery of gestural strokes, composition, space and figural abstraction. I was lucky enough to share the same printmaking teacher, Larry Scholder, years later.