Book Reviews of Everything but Gray

Practicing the conservation of paintings for the last 40 years, I find the book EVERYTHING BUT GRAY : The life of Audley Dean Nichols a great resource for treating the paintings by Nichols. Not only are the color illustrations spot on when viewing his original works, the research into some of his technique as well as what his dealers did was very helpful in restoring his paintings. The depth of research and the readability of the prose made it an easy and informative read. Anyone interested in southwest paintings or anyone wanting to view beautifully illustrated examples of that genre should read this book.

I really love how the story of the life of the artist is woven together with the artwork itself. It's really well written and makes for an engaging history lesson and helped me really appreciate the art of the southwest, the details and colors and subject matter of the beautiful paintings. I will never look at a landscape the same way again! Much like Audley Dean Nicols helped the folks in Pennsylvania see the west in a new and exciting light. Thanks for making this beautiful book!

Audley Dean Nicols has been one of my favorites artists since I discovered his work over 25 years ago. Being the proud owner of 3 museum quality pieces by him, I have much to enjoy! His landscape realism is u201cbest of classu201d in my opinion. Not until this wonderful book by Thomas Duke was published did I know much about the painter. It is the complete life story of one of the great desert painters of Texas and Arizona. This complete history of the person has been fascinating to read. Audley Dean Nicols is a rare talent and I am very grateful to Thomas for bringing this artist to light so we can enjoy the man behind the paintings.

I take my hat off to Thomas Duke and Gayle Boss for the beautifully written book about Audley Dean Nicols. Nicols will forever be the founding father of the El Paso School of the “Purple Mountain Painters”. His influence on Southwest artists is unprecedented. My friend, the late Early El Paso artist Eugene Thurston, always mentioned Nicols as someone he respected and strived to emulate. Nicols set the bar for desert and plein air painters, teaching us to see the desert as never before - with beauty and grace. Through these investigative writings and color reproductions, not only do we get a better understanding of Nicols’ art, but also glimpses into the man, the profoundly dedicated artist. We owe so much to Nicols! As an El Paso Artist, art dealer, and collector I am ever so grateful for this book. I feel I am living inside of one of his desert landscapes! submitted by Hal Marcus

This book is a great tribute to an under appreciated world class artist! Being from Texas we are very familiar with his paintings of the West Texas landscape and it is wonderful to have such quality images for all readers to enjoy. And now being able to see his work from other parts of the country simply confirms his place as a great American painter!

A beautiful bound artfully presented book with gorgeous plates covering a lifetime of vibrant paintings with a text to match: Meaningful history written with narrative drive adding to its all-around luster and reader appreciation.

With “Everything But Gray: The Life of Audley Dean Nicols,” Thomas Duke and Gayle Boss have done a great service to the art world by shining a spotlight on Nicols, an unfairly overlooked pioneer of southwestern desert-landscape painting. With over 60 full-color plates of his canvases and a short, deeply engaging monograph on the artist’s life, this is a book that should be in every library in Arizona and Texas, and on every art lover’s shelf.

A wonderful and needed addition to the literature on the desert painting Audley Dean Nicols. "Everything but Gray" gives us an insight into the masterful work of one of our early desert painters.

The book not only includes a review of Nicols’s art, but news clippings and photographs of his time in the American southwest.