Nudes Exhibition 2026

Andrew Petterson’s Solo Art Exhibition October 10, 2026 
A collection of Figure Drawings & Paintings

Andrew Petterson is pleased to present, NUDES, his third solo exhibition featuring figure drawings and paintings created from Southern California to Rome, Italy. Following the success of his Hot Shoe Chronicles and Dolce Far Tutto solo exhibitions, NUDES is a journey through the relationship between artist and muse, the vulnerability and beauty of the human form, and it's interpretation through the artist's eyes 

Guests are welcome to explore this collection for the first time ever Saturday, October 10th, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m in Costa Mesa, California. To RSVP and join the guest list, visit the NUDES event registration page.

The collection includes over 30 original drawings and paintings available to purchase and view. 

NUDES is a collection of drawings and paintings of the human form. From the earliest known figure sculpture, Venus of Willendorf 30,000 years ago, to Michelangelo's David, and on to contemporary artists (like me), the human figure has been an endless source of inspiration. The multitude of ways it can be represented, from the innocence and purity of Adam and Eve with their strategically placed fig leaves, to Toulouse-Lautrec's courtesans of the Moulin Rouge, finding ways to represent nudity in a truthful and beautiful way without becoming erotic or inappropriate can feel like a tightrope walk, especially in our contemporary world where even eating hamburgers is somehow sexualized.

My relationship with figure drawing & painting started out of necessity. I was portrait painting from life regularly and knew I could double my time behind the easel if I started attending figure classes as well. I was immediately made aware of how much more challenging it was than portraiture. There is so much more to understand and things like proportions, foreshortening, and gesture are all the more important with the figure.

I also quickly discovered there was so much more vulnerability and emotion in the figure than other subject matter. There was more story to tell, a whole body's worth, actually. I noticed that figure models seem to be more social and interactive, engaged with us artists more, we were closer, more connected. They were sharing themselves and giving me the opportunity to represent them in any way I saw fit. That takes something.  And I take that responsibility seriously. It’s more than a naked person. I am the author of their story. My painting is the visual record of who they are in that moment. 

Suddenly all of art history flashed before my eyes.  What did Raphael's La Fornarina really look like? Or Michelangelo's David, or the model who posed as Adam on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? These are all paintings of how the artist saw them. We will never know how accurately the models were represented, or what artistic liberties were taken, and what parts the artist struggled to get. The masters shared with us works that represent the human form and tell us what it means to be human. The models who have posed for me have allowed me to carry the torch of that tradition.

The act of nude modeling inspires me to share my art.  If this person is willing to show themselves in such a vulnerable way, then surely I can share my art with the world. This show is a window into my experience of making art from life.  In honor of the artists of the past that I love, and to tell the story of my life as an artist now, trying to capture the beauty of what it means to be alive, I share my art with you.

-Andrew

A selection of the original paintings from the collection will be available for presale to Andrew Petterson Fine Art Newsletter Members beginning Friday, October 6th, 2026. The full collection will be open to the public beginning Saturday, October 10th, 2026. 

Follow the artist on Instagram to learn more about this collection and experience behind the scenes stories for each piece. 

 

Thank you to Go Get em tiger for being our event coffee sponsor!

  Yes, you'll get to enjoy espresso

 

For media inquiries, contact: 
andrewipetterson@gmail.com