About

Daphne Wynne Nixon

Fine Artist specializing in realistic still life oil paintings & plein air landscapes

Daphne Nixon painting in Big Sur, California (above).

Welcome to my website…I live in Carmel Valley, CA, and specialize in plein air landscapes and realistic still life oil painting.

I had fun painting my newest painting commission, “Ode to the Movie Sideways”  for a movie buff who loves wine tasting on the Santa Barbara Wine Trail. He and his friend bought the coveted 1961 Cheval Blanc bottle of wine that the stars in the movie sought after. So, he asked me to paint the 1961 Cheval Blanc bottle in a still life painting for him.

The objects in the painting represent significant friendship moments and inside jokes like the cork and the horse hitching post from the restaurant in Santa Barbara, as well as his favorite wine-tasting scenes from the film like when Paul Giamatti sips from the glass and says, “mmm…citrus, maybe some strawberry, passionfruit,…oh! …and there’s like the faintest sousant of asparagus, and a flutter of …like a nutty Edam cheese…wait, are you chewing gum?” 
This composition took a long time to paint. Since I set up the still life and don’t use photos, I used wax fruit so the grapes , strawberry and passion fruit would not whither. Plus, I used real lemon wedges, asparagus and cheese, and nuts, and kept replacing them with fresh food when they dried up. As for the wine, I kept a bottle of wine on hand to fill the glasses as the wine evaporated.  In this manner, along with north light for constant shadows, I was able to spend all the time I needed to observe the objects to paint them realistically.  

I was excited to be in the “Carmel Pine Cone Newspaper” in November, 2019 (please see article below).

Also, I was happy to be part of the 2019 Sausalito Art Festival on Labor Day weekend. Thank you to all who come by to see my latest work at Booth 640 and enjoy the wonderful venue in beautiful Sausalito at the biggest seaside art festival in the United States!  

“The Love Bug in Capitola”, sold to a satisfied customer (above).

In addition, my artwork has been at the Winfield Gallery in Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA, at the 12th Annual International Guild of Realism’s Exhibit, and this past summer at the 2018 Oil Painters of America Salon Show of Traditional Oils.  You can also see my art today at the Carmel Valley Art Association Gallery in Carmel Valley, CA…we’re very happy that our gallery, and my paintings, were featured in the “Carmel Magazine” Spring/Summer 2018 edition!  Recently,  I felt honored to win “First Place” at the Coastal Plein Air Painter’s exhibition at Wargin Wines Tasting Room 2018, as well the “Artists Choice Award” at the Santa Cruz Pop Up & Paint Out 2017.  I also enjoyed the Capitola Paint Out, and the “Paint the Peninsula”  in Port Angeles, WA, where 24 artists painted the Olympic National Park to support the arts. As a professional member of IGOR, my work was exhibited in the “Master Works from the International Guild of Realism” museum tour, 2015.  In addition, my art was shown at the Millard Sheets Art Center in Pasadena; the “OPA 2017 Western Regional Exhibition of Traditional Oils” at the Marshall Gallery of Fine Art; and the OPA “Juried Salon Show of Traditional Oils” at the Castle Gallery.  My paintings were in the “Best of America” exhibit, w/ NOAPS at the Addison Art Gallery, in Cape Cod; and the “11th Annual International Guild of Realism Show” in Denver.  Hope to see you when you stop by the CVAA Gallery in Carmel Valley …(due to the Corona Virus epidemic, the CVAA Gallery where my paintings are for sale, has been temporarily closed, as well as the Monterey County Open Artist Studio Tour in May, 2020, and Pacific Grove Art Center Exhibition until further notice)...

CVAA Gallery article in Carmel Magazine, spring/Summer 2018

Shelley and John at CVAA

Happy to be in the article with my fellow artists

“Carmel Magazine“, Spring/Summer 2018 edition, page 164-169.

Coastal Plein Air Painters Juried Show

Daphne won the First Pkace Award for her painting, “ Swans Nestling Under tge Trestle Bridge, Capitola” at the Coastal Plein Air Painters Show at Wargin Wines Tasting Room.

Daphne won the First Place Award for her painting, “Swans Nestling Under the Trestle Bridge, Capitola” at the Coastal Plein Air Painters Juried Exhibit at Wargin Wines Tasting Room on July 6th, 2018 (above). 

Daphne painting (above) at the old “Fort Capitola” building (now Castignoloa’s Deli Cafe), at the Capitola Plein Air 2017, in Capitola, CA.  Come see the show on November 5th, 2017, from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, with new “still wet” paintings of Capitola from 25 artists!.

You’re invited to see Daphne Nixon’s art studio at the Monterey County Artists Open Studio Tour.  Visit studio # 21 on the Tour Map at “Lion Springs Lavender Farm”, Carmel Valley, CA on Sat & Sun, Sept. 23-24 from 11am – 5 pm to see the artist at work.  Hope to see you there!

Daphne at the Winfield Gallery is in Carmel-by-the- Sea, CA, for the International Guild of Realism Exhibit, October 2017 (above).

Humbled that my fellow artists voted for me to win the “Artists’ Choice Award” at the “Pop Up & Paint Out” in Santa Cruz, 06/02/17.

“A Toast to Carmel” by Daphne Wynne Nixon, 11″ x 14″, oil on board

You can see more paintings by clicking on the menu to the right.  Feel free to blog me at the bottom of each page, & complete the “contact form” on the menu to receive invitations to art openings, or to inquire about purchasing.  Enjoy…

Nixon painting “Old Red” at the Ranch in Carmel Valley

Nixon at “Capitola En Plein Air”, November 7, 2015

Finishing up a painting for the “Capitola En Plein Air” event November 6, 2015.

Nixon painting at the Vezer Family Winery for the “Fun Family Farm Days” event in Suisun Valley, CA.

“Hard-boiled Lemon & Egg Squeezer” by D.W.Nixon, oil on board, 16″ x 20″ diptych.

D.W.Nixon’s painting on display: “Hard-boiled Lemon & Egg Squeezer” at the “Masterworks from the International Guild of Realism” Exhibition.

“Dora’s Secret” by Daphne Wynne Nixon won 1st Place at the California Art League’s “Summer’s Past” exhibit in Pasadena, CA in July 2014.  I was accepted into CAL in 2014 as an exhibiting member.

“Dora’s Secret” oil paint, D. Wynne Nixon

…painting in Oahu, Hawaii.

Daphne painting at Fisherman’s Wharf at the Plein Air Expo 2014 in Monterey, CA

Daphne Nixon painting from a still life study in the art studio.

Randy Sexton’s plein air workshop at Chileno Valley Ranch in Petaluma, CA in June 2008.  He’s one of my favorite artists. Senator Michael Machado and Daphne at the opening of the art show he gave her at the State Capital Building in Sacramento, California.  The Senator selected her art to represent his district in the California Contemporary Artists Exhibition at the California State Capital. Daphne’s art work at Phil Glashoff’s Sculpture Ranch spring show in Suisun Valley of May, 2008. The cast of the “American Primitive” movie at the premier at the Palm Springs Film Festival in January of 2009 which featured Daphne’s murals on the set. We were all very happy because the film became one of the “Best of Fest” films in the festival.

Film crew interviewing Jerry Bowen (historian) and Daphne about the discovery of the Santa Eulalia Mission.  My friend, Natalie, is in the background trying to make me laugh.  (Please double click on this photo to see a clearer and bigger image.)

Daphne being interviewed about her “Adobe” painting in July, 2010, by Ted Haskins for a Channel 26 TV show about how I discovered in 2005 by accident California’s last mission, Santa Eulalia (built in 1824) in Cordelia.  The mission  had been lost for 175 years (until I found it!).  However, the records of Santa Eulalia’s existence were at the old Dolores Mission in San Francisco. Daphne with historian, Jerry Bowen, being filmed for Channel 26 at the site of the sacrarium at the Santa Eulalia Mission near Cordelia, California. Sitting on the baptismal font at the Santa Eulalia Mission site.  An old winery had been built on top of the stone mission building which can be seen in the background of this photo. Photo below: Pointing to my painting called “Cordelia Railroad Tunnel 1868)” which Solano County had etched in granite onto one of Old Town Cordelia’s historical markers. One of Daphne Nixon’s paintings called “Thompson’s Corner Saloon” was etched in granite on one of the Old Town Cordelia historical markers in front of Thompson’s Corner Saloon in Cordelia, California.  There is also a painting called “The Cordelia Fire House” etched onto another historical marker in front of the Cordelia Fire House across the street the above site.  Daphne has three of her paintings etched in granite in Old Town Cordelia. Daphne Nixon painting “Fisherman’s Beach” in Jamaica in March 2010. Daphne painting the “Yellow Door” in Jamaica in March 2010. Enjoying a Red Stripe beer in front of the local bar in Moneague, Jamaica, in March 2010 with Victoria Mimiaga, Daphne Nixon, Mary Lou Correia, Frances Whitnall, and Randy Sexton after a hard day of plein air painting outside in town.

The Mayor of Stockton presenting Daphne with the “Oscar Galgione Memorial Second Place Painting Award” for her artwork in the Haggin Museum 57th Annual Juried Art Show in Stockton, California, on July 5th, 2012.

The sponsors of the “Oscar Galgione Memorial Second Place Award for Painting” at the Haggin Art Museum in Stockton, California, with Daphne on 7/5/2012.

Rock Hushka, Curator of Contemporary and Northwest Art at the Tacoma Art Museum, presenting Daphne with the “Best of Show Award” for the Peninsula Art League 10th Annual Juried Art Show at the Gig Harbor Civic Center in Washington on 8/9/2012.

“Best of Show Award” for the painting called, “Canning Candy Corn” at the Peninsula Art League 10th Annual Juried Art Show at the Gig Harbor Civic Center in Washington on August 9, 2012.

“The Best of Show selection was the hardest to choose, he said (Rock Hushka). “It’s really a beautiful still life with a bit of humor. When you look close, you notice all the brush strokes and the artful articulation of the squash , the corn and the jar. It’s utterly superb and it completely captured my heart.”

“The Best of Show selection was the hardest to choose, he said (Rock Hushka). “It’s really a beautiful still life with a bit of humor. When you look close, you notice all the brush strokes and the artful articulation of the squash , the corn and the jar. It’s utterly superb and it completely captured my heart.”

The winners of the 2012 Peninsula Art League Juried Show.

Nixon with “Mercury Lounging” on exhibit at the Gig Harbor Civic Center in Washington

Nixon in the studio with the “Two Jamaican Horses”.