Nikita Coulombe | Wildlife Paintings

Wildlife

Original paintings available for sale are noted in descriptions; prints of some pieces are available here.

Artist statement for this series.

"Fresh Powder (Red Fox)" painting of a red fox jumping through snow by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Your Time Will Come (Great Horned Owl)" painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Oryxes" painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"The Philosopher (Eagle Owl)" painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Vulture Study" King Vulture painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Three Little Owls" painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

Spotted Owlet painting by wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Crane Study" painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Eagle Calling" American Bald Eagle painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

"Crocodile Study" painting by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

Related Commissions

"Splash" fly-fishing painting of a fish jumping out of the water to catch a hook by contemporary western and wildlife artist Nikita Coulombe.

Artist Statement

As a subject, wildlife is innately appealing because nothing in nature is pretending to be anything other than what it is. The motivation of survival is clear. Humans, on the other hand, suffer from cognitive dissonance. Kill or be killed is the unavoidable truth for most species, yet our position on the food chain and our complex social structures have given us the luxury of self-deception.

Freedom from self-deception is my goal. I paint because it feels honest; it provides the space to observe that nature is both enchanting and terrifying, kind and cruel. Indeed, in order to fully appreciate the beauty around us, my sense is we must accept the duality.

I begin a painting with the eyes. I believe the intensity of an animal’s eyes expresses the balance between the warmth and harshness. Reminiscent of 20th c. Canadian artist Robert Bateman as well as 19th c. American artist Alexander Pope, my style brings animals to life through their gazes and captures the vitality of the moment with detail, light, and shadow.