Nadine Yura - Calligraphy of Color

So honored to be the featured artist in the latest Breaker Magazine Issue #23!! The beautiful two-page spread entitled Nadine Yura- Artist's Spotlight features 7 of my paintings along with my Bio and Artist's statement. 

A special thank you to Dawn Simon, Executive Editor/ Publisher of Breakerzine for printing such a beautiful magazine and for your continued support of artists. 

Breaker Magazine is New Jersey's own FREE Arts & Cultural Magazine. Visit Breakerzine's website for more information as well as their IG page @breakerzine for the vendors/restaurants that support and carry this free publication. 

So thrilled to share that "Bloom Boldly" from 2025 is featured in Issue 22 of Breaker Magazine!!

Breaker Magazine is New Jersey's only free Arts and Cultural publication dedicated to showcasing artists, musicians, writers and small businesses throughout our coastal community. 

A special thank you to Dawn @brakerzine for this amazing opportunity!!

"Bloom Boldly" 6'x 8' oil on panel, is available. 

I am thrilled to announce that my solo show of new paintings celebrating the color, joy and whimsy of all things "down the shore" will be on view May 2nd, 2023 to May 30th, 2023 at Ocean County Library's Barnegat Branch, 112 Burr St., Barnegat NJ 08005.

Special thanks Greg Foster and his staff for their assistance with the show. 

Thank you to Thomas Mongelli, Public Relations for the Ocean County Librarys. 

If you are in the area please check out this collection! Check the Library's website for hours of operation and direction. www.oceancountylibrary.org/events.  

I am thrilled to announce a Solo Exhibition of my artwork at the Ocean County Library Barnegat Branch! This is my first solo show in quite a while  and will feature my oil paintings and works on paper in both watercolor in ink. I hope that you make a special trip to the Library to see my work.  I hope my work captivates you! Let me know what you think. 

Thank you to the Greg and the staff at the Barnegat Branch for their assistance with installation of the exhibit and a special thank you to Thomas Mongelli, Public Relations for Ocean County Library for his support and guidance! 

The exhibit runs the entire month of May 2022.  The Barnegat Branch Library is located at 112 Burr Street, Barnegat NJ 08005. For more information and Library hours  ( the Library is closed on Sundays) please visit www.theoceancountylibrary.org or call 609-698-3331. 

One of the figure drawing classes that I attend is held at the Old Manahawkin Baptist Church, a local landmark and historic site one town over from where I live. Built in 1759, with ties to the Revolutionary war, this quaint little church has wonderful creaky floors , beautiful 20 foot windows along the walls, a raised pulpit/stage perfect for the model and narrow white pews where all of us "parishioners of art" sit. 

While waiting for the model to set up, I noticed this old stately chair on the platform. I was struck by how morning light illuminated the deep red cushions and  the lime green wall. There was just something about this chair and the light. I took a quick photo of it just as the model began his pose. 

I did this very quick watercolor sketch of the chair a few weeks later after coming across the photo on my phone.  Please enjoy "Before the Pose" 2021 8"x 8" Watercolor on paper.

I added the reference photo for you so you to can see the light!

So excited that my painting "Gladiolus" 6" x 6", Oil on Panel,  is part of Pine Shore Art Association's January-February show at Ocean County Library's Stafford Branch! 

The Ocean County Library organization is a great supporter of the arts, featuring monthly art exhibits through out the year. I am so proud to be a part of this awesome Library family and am looking forward to great things to come!

The Stafford Branch is located at 129 N. Main Street, Manahawkin NJ. The Library hours are posted on their website. 

If you are in the area I encourage you to stop by this quaint Library to see my painting as well as artwork by some other amazing local artists!!

Here is the second painting in my textured-panel series.  I fussed with this one a lot. And when I fuss, my painting style leans less towards loose brushwork more towards realism.  I tried to walk away from it but it kept calling me back! I even doubted posting it for my blog, Facebook and Instagram but the left side of my brain won out, "post everything" it said. 

Looking for something to anchor the cherries, bowl and background I found that one of my Mom's vintage hankies worked well.  The part that I love the most is the luminous yellow glow within the fold of the hanky... hence the title. Please enjoy "The Light From Within" 2021 5" x 7" © Oil on panel. 

Recently I ordered and received Raymar Art Panel's sample pack of 5" x 7"  panels, each with a different surface texture; linen, cotton, etc.  I usually paint on panels with a smooth surface so I was eager to try these. I found that the textures changed the way I applied the paint, dragging the brush creating more transparent layers.  You can definitely see this application in the background of the painting. 

This painting is the first of three paintings (maybe four if I can finish it!). So keep an eye out for the others in my next posts. 

PS. Thank you to Raymar Art Panels for your personalized shipping which included a purple ribbon around the panels and a HAND-WRIITEN  thank you note from the owner!! Love it!!

To celebrate their 40th Anniversary, Pine Shore Art Association decided to publish a fundraiser book  "Guide to the Jersey Shore" illustrated with artwork from it's members.  I received an email from them asking to submit some of my paintings to use as illustrations ,  which I gladly did. They also asked if any artists would be interested in painting one of the local restaurants that would also be featured in the book. I jumped at the chance! Painting a restaurant would get me out of my comfort zone (and out of the house)  since I have never painted a building before. 

The next email I received from PSAA asked : "Would you like to paint the Museum of New Jersey Maritime History? They are patrons of the art association."  I cried.  This is where my husband, Ron and I were married!!! When we were searching for a wedding venue,  we looked  on Long Beach Island and  found out that Museum's owner, Debra Whitcraft, was also a wedding officiate, so we had our wedding there. What are the odds that I was chosen to paint it! Divine odds I  think, a special gift from Ron. 

If you are ever on Long Beach Island please visit the Museum. It is crammed, jammed  full of photos, maritime memorabilia,  amazing donated items from shipwrecks, paintings, murals and so much more! Since the Museum runs on donations, it is a great opportunity for you to not only learn about New Jersey's maritime history but to support a local business!! It is a very special place. 

The fundraiser book "Guide to the Jersey Shore" is available at several local venues and on Amazon. All proceeds go to Pine Shore Art Association. 

It is my honor to present to you a very special place in my heart,  the "Museum of New Jersey Maritime History", 12" x 16"  Oil on Canvas. 

I watched an amazing video the other day. A class of preschoolers were all seated around two small picnic tables covered in plastic. In  front of each child was a small stretched canvas, a watercolor palette of about 6 or 7 colors and a few brushes. On each canvas was a pre-printed line drawing of a bird.

Then the magic happened.

I watched as colors were chosen, maybe at random or maybe just that child's favorite color, then placed carefully or wildly on the canvas. The magic was  beautifully expressive brushstrokes! I sensed their pure joy of creating and their  amazement how their painting developed into a work of art.  I watched intently as some of these young artists seemed to doubt their own creation after looking at their classmates work. (We artist's do that!) Their self-doubt was quickly erased as  their teacher focused the camera on each child and their painting and told them how awesome their work was!  It didn't matter if they colored outside or inside the lines or what colors were used....each painting was a beautiful example of pure gesture and expression of that artist...how a painting should be!

I am trying to capture that childlike expression in my watercolors . The medium seems so perfect for that.

So lets put the plastic on the picnic table, let go, and get painting! 

Please enjoy Book 3 - #4 2021 Sunflower Study from my watercolor journal.