“To find inspiration I head West. Following rivers up through cottonwoods and canyons to the majestic Rocky Mountains of Colorado. It is here in historic mountain towns surrounded by wilderness that I find my creativity.“ Nicholas speaks in the language of visuals, illustrating his thoughts with paintings. Concepts expressed with color and content. His travels have taken him all over the planet, including Antarctica, South East Asia, Africa, and Canada. He began showing in Crested Butte in the summer of 2007 during the Arts Festival and has been showing exclusively at Oh Be Joyful Gallery ever since. “This is the only place in the world that I have found where I can live a life completely immersed in the arts. Crested Butte is beauty with accessibility to the landscapes, to wilderness. It’s the gathering of creative talents and the people who appreciate having all of that in a community.” His smaller studies often are made up of heavier brushstrokes while his larger studio work is more carefully rendered. His use of color evokes his joy of life and the landscape. “To be creative is to give meaning to life. I live to paint, to challenge myself with new subjects and approaches. To discover through paint how to see the world, the truth and the immense beauty around us.” Nicholas studied in Paris and Florence before graduating from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2001 with a BFA in Painting. Reti was invited to be a Young Gun in the 2019 Coors Show. He was recognized as one of Southwest Art magazines 21 under 31 Artists to Watch in 2008. His paintings have received numerous awards and recognition including Best of Show, 1st place and a Southwest Art Award of excellence at the Denver Plein Air Exhibitions and a Merit Award at Salon International 2010.