Meet Local Artist, Reyon Nurse

“Ever meet someone you would dare take into your hidden world?” Local artist Reyon Nurse asks that very question in a recent Instagram post of one of his paintings, as he draws the viewer into his world of new American abstract art. “I like to call it sci-fi art dipped in consciousness,” he says, weaving philosophical and extraterrestrial elements into his work until it feels otherworldly. Reyon uses art to bring his thoughts and ideas into existence, long enough for us to see what he sees: No limits.

Reyon will participate in the Deep Ellum Arts Festival April 5-7, or as he calls it, “The Super Bowl of Art.” In the past, he has showcased his artwork in defunct Downtown Plano gallery Ten20 and throughout murals in the Dallas area. His Instagram account @DreadSoftly is a glimpse into his journey as an artist, a taste of who he is as a person.

Reyon Nurse // photos Kathy Tran
Reyon with some of his artwork // photos Kathy Tran

Art has always been Reyon’s one constant, what he always gravitated toward as an escapist. As a child, he would paint on wooden canvasses made from his taken-down closet doors. Even then, nothing could stop him from doing what he loved. “I just kept doing it by any means necessary, and got my 10 thousand hours in,” he says, referring to the amount of time some consider required to become an expert in any field.

“Good art should put you in a state of awe,” Reyon says, and his art does that. Thought-provoking captions like “consciousness trapped in time” and “philosophy beings in wonder” fill his Instagram posts. “I like people who think deliciously,” he admits.

One of Reyon’s most recent paintings, “The Unseen,” carries his signature mystical vibe: Two astronauts are standing in a whirlpool of acrylic colors with the words “love always.” Our eyes travel along the colors of the rainbow, the contrast of light and dark conveying the overall theme of cosmic energy.

Looking closely, one can see notebook paper attached – a passageway into Reyon’s soul via his poetry. The paper reads, “With hands laced we come to an unknown path. The silence of our indecision is thunderous…. The winds shift as we take our first purposeful steps towards the Unseen. She’s everything and all I’d need on this journey.”

One of his earliest paintings, “Luna,” is a stunning acrylic portrait of an African-American woman. “I wanted to make my version of the Mona Lisa,” Reyon says. Luna has hair like a galaxy, and a dreamlike motion to her. Eyes gently closed, she looks as though she’s in a meditative state. Like Luna, meditation and mindfulness – mostly the ability to keep the present moment from escaping him – consistently inspire Reyon’s work.

Every day, he paints in his Downtown Plano home to a soundtrack of upbeat bands like The Empire of the Sun. “I want to keep a happy rhythm because it keeps happy paint,” he says, and his Instagram pictures practically pour out #goodvibes.

“If it’s not there, I don’t force it. I keep it organic,” he says, still seeking to devote a sufficient amount of time to art daily.

Years ago Reyon worked at a senior citizens’ home, absorbing the stories and life experiences around him. But every story led to a single token of wisdom he carries with him: Do what you love. For Reyon, that means “having an active campaign of spreading art,” as he says, and leaving his mark on Plano.

To inquire about purchasing artwork, send Reyon a direct message at instagram.com/dreadsoftly.

See Reyon's Work >
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