Local fine artist Sam Nicholson is donating 25 percent of any of his paintings purchased by supporters of the Pasadena-headquartered non-profit Hillsides.

“My wife Diane and I have been involved with Hillsides for years, and it’s such a worthy cause that it’s an honor for me to help out,” said Nicholson.

Nicholson, a graduate of the UCLA Graduate School of Fine Arts, combines photography with traditional oil painting on canvas. An accomplished cinematographer and director, his background in motion pictures and commercial art enables him to fuse fine art and technology into dramatic images. Many of his works capture moments during his world travels to locales including Africa, India, Japan, and Europe.

Nicholson is also the founder of Stargate Studios, an award-winning, state-of-the-art visual effects production company founded in 1989. Stargate has won three Emmy awards and multiple Visual Effects Society awards.

“Sam already has been very generous to Hillsides by donating a painting of Pasadena’s Colorado Bridge that was auctioned off for thousands of dollars at our annual gala held in February,” said Hillsides Director of Development Carrie Espinoza. “It’s incredibly generous of him to support Hillsides beyond our gala and to give our supporters a chance to own his beautiful paintings while benefiting Hillsides.”

To view Nicholson’s works, please visit http://samnicholsonfineart.com/. To purchase a painting, please call (626) 862-1111 or write him through the contact form on his web site. For Hillsides to receive the donation, all anyone has to do is mention Hillsides when they make a purchase.

Hillsides is a premier provider dedicated to improving the overall well-being and functioning of children, youth, and families throughout Los Angeles County, serving more than 7,500 individuals a year. For more information, please visit www.hillsides.org.