Golden Countryside, 2020

Nancy McIntyre  

Artist Statement:

I went back to school in 1990, as a single mother, earning both my Masters and PhD in Management. I still teach business full time at a major university. Since 1995 I have been taking art classes at all of the universities where I taught. These classes were in design, pottery, and painting. My inspiration for taking these classes was definitely my mother. Though she has passed away, all of her life she painted in water colors. As children, we didn't have coloring books, my mom would draw whatever we wanted to color or paint. Whether it was a ballerina or a space ship, she was happy to draw it for us to color. 

I have been a practicing artist for twenty five years. I began as a functional potter. I had the distinct honor of earning scholarships for three summers in New Harmony, Indiana with five other potters. New Harmony is a National Historic Landmark, settled in 1814. It is considered one of the first attempts to establish utopia in the United States, and was founded to create a perfect society through free education and the abolition of social classes and personal wealth. As potters, we shared living space (an old, antique house on the property) and worked in the pottery studio on the Wabash river. I also had a full studio in my house, though I often worked at school with other potters for feedback and inspiration. My pieces were functional and reflected the earthy colors of nature in both form and glazes. 

Three years ago I began painting in acrylics. I find that it provides me with a vibrant, colorful outlet. All of my paintings reflect movement and joy. I am an abstract artist, living in North Carolina and just like my pottery, the inspiration for my paintings is again nature. Now, rather than the earthy colors of my pottery, my paintings reflect the vibrant colors found in the South. I have a studio attached to my house, though I hope to soon join other artists in a communal work space I find that working with other artists provides me with the opportunity to share my ideas and my art and to be inspired by their work and their passion as well. 

My art is now about color: lots and lots of color. When people view my art, I want them to experience the vibrancy of life and the joy and freedom expressed in my paintings. I start painting on a wet canvas. I pour colors, letting them blend and move. I then use brush work to continue to build layers of color. The piece might evolve in an hour, or it may require layers and layers over a month's time. Every piece is an experiment in movement, color, and light. My hope is that the end product will bring joy to your life, and possibly even a smile!

Education:

I am a self-taught artist in many ways, but I had the opportunity to audit art classes at the universities where I taught. Over 15 years, I took art classes at the University of Evansville and at West Virginia University. These courses were in design, pottery, and painting.

Awards & Distinctions:

Honorable Mention in a 2019 show in Washington, D.C. The show was sponsored by Art Impact International and my work was used in the advertising of the show as well as on the cover of the exhibit catalog. 

Exhibitions:

Art Impact International Show - Chroma - November 8 through December 19, 2019.

Professional/Teaching Experience:

Prior to the pandemic, I taught community painting classes which often included children. I truly loved their joy and lack of inhibition when painting. 

During the pandemic, I have had the privilege of teaching my graduate business courses online.

Artistic Influences:

As noted above, my strongest influence was my mother. She was a watercolor artist and inspired me to be aware of my surroundings and to reflect those surroundings in my work. 

I also admire the work of Emily Mason, an abstract expressionist artist from New York. Unfortunately, she passed away late last year. She was a master in layering bold colors that created a sense of harmony. She often said that her paintings talked to her as she painted and thus the finished piece of art was a joint effort. 

More recently, I have followed the work of a young Canadian artist, Callen Schaub. Like Mason, he layers colors, but he uses trapezes and a spinning machine, along with basic physics to create his work. He is part of a "Fake Art" movement, a term he coined, after a social media follower claimed that all he was doing was pouring paint on a canvas and a two year old could do it. I suppose many said that of Jackson Pollock's work as well. 

Over the past five years, I have seen Callen Schaub's work evolved as he creates more and more layers in phenomenal ways. 

Personally, I am seeking freedom in my work and hope it becomes less and less constrained.

Tags:

Layers of color, abstract art, abstract expressionism, large canvases.