Nomi Winsor

I'm currently working on two different projects. One is centered on political themes such as racism, BLM, and the Dutch Baroque era. While the other is more personal and centered on family, childhood, and imagination.

Floyd in Meditation

(work in progress)

oil on canvas

The first piece is a rendition of an oil painting by Rembrandt called Philosopher in Meditation, which will feature George Floyd as the philosopher, Breonna Taylor as the nursemaid, and Elijah McClain as his apprentice. Ahmaud Arbery and Floyd’s mother will also be included in the painting. Other black people who have been victims of racism and police brutality will have a place within this project too. They are all dressed in 17th century attire because that was the time period Rembrandt created the original painting. I am placing George Floyd as the philosopher-esque figure because he has always dreamed of becoming a Supreme Court Judge since the second grade. Breonna Taylor was a paramedic when she was alive. So I decided to paint her as a nursemaid caring for George Floyd’s mother, because I feel that is the role she would have taken during that time period. Elijah McClain used to play the violin to kittens at shelters. I can see him being a helpful assistant to Floyd because of his kind nature. I am not quite sure how I will introduce Ahmaud Arbery yet. I still need to do some research so I can learn more about him as an individual. The rest of the black victims will be painted as obscured faces in the shadows, as well as a long scroll with their names written on it for George Floyd to observe. This piece is meant to honor all the black lives that have been taken and show some of their individual, unique characteristics presented in a Baroque oil painting.

Untitled (Temporary)

(work in progress)

watercolor, charcoal, and pencil on bristol paper

19 in x 24 in

The second piece is a drawing/watercolor painting that is based off of a family photograph. The image includes my grandmother, my great uncle Ron, and my great aunt Ellen as children. I am including charcoal to make the image more photorealistic, then adding a wash of watercolor in a pastel color scheme, similar to the greeting cards my great grandmother produced. My version is going to be a bit different from the original photograph–even more playful, surreal, and whimsical. I want to bring forth a dream-like quality of childlike fantasy, innocence, and make-believe. To make this happen, I will be drawing inspiration from the illustrations of two of my favorite children’s books: Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp and Where The Wild Things Are. As for my grandmother’s prayer hands, I thought I would add that, (she was not raised in a religious family, but knew she wanted to become a nun since she was a small child. She has since then grown up to become one of the first women priests in California). I am also thinking of adding in some text to this piece. My grandmother and I’s favorite quote from the bible, psalm 131.

Video Statement:

Artist Bio: Nomi Winsor was born in the Bay Area and currently resides in Ventura, California. Nomi is a contemporary artist working primarily in drawing and painting. She is inspired by great master artists throughout art History from the Renaissance, to Pop Art periods. She has pulled some of her artistry and inspiration from Dutch Painters and she often draws from her own family history, including archival photos and references to her great grandmother's (Marie Roberts) watercolor paintings. Nomi’s subjects range from social justice topics such as Black Lives Matter and police brutality, to her family’s creative history, to fairytale-esque subjects, and mystical beings. She breathes new life into classical compositions using 17th century painting influences to stylistically inform her representations of contemporary topics. Nomi’s art demonstrates tremendous interconnection between the present and the past. Her style has been described as neo expressionist, whimsical, and having a fairy tale-Brothers Grimm-like quality. Others characterize her work as dark, which she doesn't necessarily intend and what might be more subconscious. She likes to make her art playful, ethereal, and dreamy, and as pleasing to the eye as she possibly can. She wants to give the viewer a sense of euphoria with some of her pieces, while having them think more in depth on other pieces. But she still sticks to the technical tradition of drawing and painting to enhance her skill, while adding a bit of her own creativity to her pencil marks and brushwork.

Additional Past Work:

The First Piece: