Warner Nienow holds memberships in the Santa Barbara Art Association (SBAA) and the Goleta Valley Art Association ((GVAA)  He currently paints urban nightscapes, hauntingly lit interiors, and sunlit restaurant scenes.

Personal info:  Warner was born in Wisconsin in 1939. His childhood memories include collecting stamps, building model trains, delivering the Milwaukee Journal on his sled in winter, and picketing in pouring rain with his father for the Communication Workers of America. Warner put himself through college, earning a BSEE with honors from University of Wisconsin. His first post-college job was in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a city so cold in winter he could not start his convertible in the mornings. Seeking warmer habitation, he headed for California in 1962 and for the most part he has been a resident of Santa Barbara ever since. Warner worked 33 years for General Motors as an engineer and software manager. After managing a software organization for GM in Japan, Warner retired in 1997 and returned to Santa Barbara.

Art background:  Warner received three years of formal art training (1968-1971) in traditional Old Masters' style oil painting from Claude Buck, a master of Poetic Realism . Most of Warner's paintings until 1998 were done in oils using the classical technique of monochrome underpainting and glazing. His subject matter and compositional schemes for many years followed the methods taught by Mr. Buck, but after GM retirement, Warner's creative interests shifted. He became very interested in the urban landscapes of Santa Barbara painter Patricia Chidlaw and in the night scene renderings of Thomas Van Stein. Warner and his wife Judy have staged three successful night-themed exhibits: DARK ART 2000; NIGHT AT THE FAIR (2001); and DARK HOLLYWOOD Part One (2002). Warners luminous urban nocturnes have attracted considerable buyer and critical interest.