All Of The Above: This collection of paintings embodies both traditional and imaginative approaches to contemporary realism. In refusing to be held captive by restrictive conventions, I pay tribute to the depth and diversity of my aesthetic influences. With all these works side-by-side, I draw from master artists old & new: from Titian and Velazquez to Degas and Fantin-Latour; from Sargent and Sorolla to Hopper and Thiebaud; from Arthur Rackham, Pietro Annigoni, and Jamie Wyeth to Benjamin F. Long, IV, Bo Bartlett, and more. Multiplying my range of choices, I explore varied stylings and subjects—all in the freedom of serious play. In this spirit, I also honor my wife Hallie’s infectious love for her work as an author and illustrator of children’s literature. In opening myself to her contagious sense of wonder, I’m caught up by the power of the fantastic & the whimsical to lift the heart and light the imagination.

Nathan Bertling (b.1974) studied visual arts and communications at Furman University, graduating cum laude in 1996. From 2002-2008, he joined the atelier of American master Benjamin F. Long, IV in Asheville, NC. There Bertling studied drawing and painting in the Old Master tradition, eventually teaching portrait drawing at the school over his final two years. He has been named a Living Artist by the Art Renewal Center, and in 2020 was selected as a Semi-Finalist in the ARC’s 15th Annual International Salon. During the summer of 2022, he was awarded “Best in Show” at the annual Open Painting, Sculpture, & Graphics Exhibition held by the Salmagundi Club, where he is now a member. As a private tutor, Bertling shares his knowledge and practice with students in his home studio in Greenville, SC. His works hang in numerous private collections. In March of 2022, Bertling had his debut solo show in NYC at Dacia Gallery, where he is now represented. Later that April of 2022, he and his wife Hallie attended an artist’s residency in Roskilde, Denmark. In March of 2023, Bertling completed Studio Escalier’s three-week Paris-based drawing intensive, Spring Portrait at the Louvre. January of 2024, he studied at the Scottsdale Artists’ School in Arizona. Bertling anticipates further opportunities to travel, teach, and study abroad while continuing to hone his craft.