My name is Nicholas Cozarrio Conte and I’m an artist from Southern California. I primarily work in oils on plein air, but also enjoy working in the studio and experimenting with other mediums. Painting is how I engage with and understand the world around me.

Plein air painting is the practice of painting outdoors. Like many other artists, I use a pochade box mounted on a tripod as my portable studio. As these boxes can be expensive with limited options on the market, I decided to design and build my own from scratch. This allowed me to specify it to my own liking, and brings me closer to each painting I create with it.

In my work, I enjoy painting close to home, as to capture a moment or feeling from my local environment. Santa Cruz couldn’t be more perfect for this. Within minutes I can draw inspiration from beautiful beaches, meadows, or forests.

My relationship with my artwork is best described as an ongoing conversation between myself and the world. Each subject I paint provides different insight and teaches me new lessons. Painting is so many things to me, but above all, it’s how I talk to the world.