Nicolai Fechin

by Mary N. Balcomb, Nicolai Fechin (Artist), Eya Fechin Branham (Foreword)

Born in Kazan, the last stronghold of the Tartars on the upper Volga River, Nicolai Fechin was well on his way to an art career before he entered his teens. Following an decade long art apprenticeship he and his family came to the United States. Fechin painted in New York, Taos, and Santa Monica. After immigrating to New York he relocated to a more suitable climate in Taos. Fechin's career flourished in the American Southwest, where his presence launched a dramatic rebirth of the artist's colony in New Mexico. He became well known for his refined style, his portraits of prominent Americans and his portrayal of indigenous American culture. Primarily interested in people he left a superb visual record of men, women and children.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

167 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

A painter, etcher, designer, and art writer, Mary N. Balcomb lived in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. She was a 1948 graduate from the American Academy of Art, Chicago, and earned a BFA cum laude from The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and an MFA from The University of Washington, Seattle. During the 1950's and 60's she worked as a technical illustrator at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque NM, taught Art at Sandia School, and was principle illustrator at Bob Klein & Associates Interior Design. She was a contributor to American Artist and Southwest Art and is author of Les Perhacs, Sculptor (monograph) and the books Nicolai Fechin, Russian-American Artist; William F. Reese, American Artist; Robin-Robin, A Journal; Sergei Bongart, Russian-American Artist, and Froggy Makes a Pie (illustrated children's book). She was a member of The Authors Guild, Inc. (USA); and, as an advocate of the arts for all children, she was a founding member of the Children’s Arts Center Foundation, Inc., Seattle.

Also a professional designer, she had domestic and foreign design projects to her credit. Her exhibits include solo shows at the Kansas Wesleyan University; the Frye Art Museum and the Nordic Heritage Museum, Seattle; and Olympic College, Sidney, and Blue Heron Art Galleries, Kitsap County, Wa. Her works have shown at the Fine Impressions Gallery, Seattle; Amy Burnett Gallery, Bremerton, Wa.; and The Gallery, Bainbridge Island, Wa. Four of her etchings traveled to Prague, Czechoslovakia, for a 1992 cultural exchange exhibit; and her work was featured in American Artist, February 1991 and June 1996; and in Southwest Art, April 1996. Her oil painting “Sam in Large Overcoat” received an award at the Frye Art Museum’s 36th annual Puget Sound Area Exhibition.

Because of her love of drawing and her drawing abilities, the intaglio, particularly line etching, carried a particular fascination for her and was her metier. She etched and printed her own plates in her home studio.

(portrait by Robert S. Balcomb)

Reviews

[Judith]

It has great information about Fechin. The artwork is in black and white which is fine for his drawings, but you will have to seek images of his paintings online to find the color. The book Balcomb did of Sergei Bongart was an improvement and printed in color, thankfully.

[Michael Dandreaux]

I was not aware of Nicolai Fechin until I received a copy of this book. I was immediately drawn to his impressionistic style and use of color. He spent half his life in Russia and half in the US, many years spent in Taos. The book contains many large, high quality reproductions of his paintings, charcoals, & wood carvings. It is well written and provides a good description of his life, influences on his work, a very good at sampling of his work.

[Flora]

I love this artist's work. After the show at Seattle's Frye Museum, I read this old copy by Balcomb. I also bought the exhibition book, which only has the paintings and drawings from the exhibit. The Balcomb book is more detailed and has a more complete discussion of his work.