A Little Bit About Me

I think I’ve always been a visual artist, although it took a long time for me to know it. My favorite activity in kindergarten was painting at the easel; I remember longing for it to be my turn. My favorite crayon color back then was magenta. It had magic powers.  But school came, and grades came, and life came. Art became doodles on envelopes to be thrown away.

I should have known when I went to college. I took a class at Oberlin called “Revolution and Tradition in Modern Art” and felt like I was seeing everything differently – 180 degrees differently. The class was held in a large auditorium and every Monday and Wednesday at 11 I would sit in darkness in the light of amazing paintings and soak in the wonder of them. I took art history class after aft history class, but art history wasn’t “serious academics”  -- so I didn’t take it seriously, either.

Fast forward 38 years to an oil painting class at the Valley Art Center in Chagrin. My girlfriends talked me into it; I just wanted to hang out with them. But with my first painting I was a goner. Entranced, intrigued, enthralled, inspired, enamored, Intimidated, intoxicated. I fell in love and I haven’t been the same since.

I’ve been painting a little over two years now. Every painting is a journey of feeling and expression. I paint primarily with a palette knife. I love lots of paint on the canvas, love the way the colors move and shift under the knife. I try to capture light, motion and moments filled with emotion. To my eye, the ordinary is extraordinary.

I have earned my living as a writer for over thirty-five years. Words have always been my playthings. But I can’t tell how truly grateful I am to have traded them for tubes of paint and a doorway to the soul.

The Following Have Found New Homes

"Moody Nude" 20" x 20"

"Looking Out" 24" w x 18" t

"Reverie on Haskins Road" 24" w x 18" t

"First Light" 30" w x 15" t

"Turtle Beach" 24" w x 18" t

"By the Banks" 24" w x 20" t

"Red Shoes" 14" w x 11" t

Goodbye to the Paintings Sold at the Show

... and hello to all the paintings yet to be! Thanks to everyone who bought a painting and sent me on my way. I loved making every single one and I hope you will love them just as much. Also thanks to the wonderful staff at Valley Art Center for putting on such a flawless, first class show. It couldn't have been better!

The Hill

"The Hill" by Nancy Minter -- 36" w x 18" h

This painting was inspired by a photo of birch trees in a forest. As I worked on it, it became trees of all stripes on a hill -- my teacher's suggestion, and a good one. I love how the light breaks through the trees in the background and across the hill. Like spring stealing in! The entire thing was painted with a palette knife. By the way, these photos of my paintings were done by Cleveland photographer Michael Steinberg (steinberg@comphotography.com). The black masks were added to make the image suitable for submission to a juried show. "The Hill" will be at Art By the Falls on June 8th and 9th in Riverside Park in Chagrin.

Pink Trees

"Pink Trees" by Nancy Minter. Oil on canvas. 24" w x 18" h.

Done a year ago spring, this painting was my first "multiple tree" attempt. I got the perspective, but the background was surprisingly hard to figure out. Should it be solid? Just more grass going off into the distance? Finally I decided on a few ghost trees to create the sense of space. Colors ranged from Alizarin to paled cadmium reds. Look for Pink Trees at Art By The Falls.

A shot from last year's Art By the Falls.

Art By The Falls 

Art By The Falls runs June 8th and 9th in Riverside Park, Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Artists come from all over the country and the talent is amazing! I'm honored to have been selected for this juried show. It's my first! You can find me in Booth #58.

Getting Ready for Art By The Falls

Apparently it isn't enough to paint. Or draw. You've got to:
•  Go thrifting to find frames. (Six bucks for a frame with mat and glass?! I'm in.) 
• Clean the frames. Repair the frames. Touch-up the frames. (Maybe they should have cost $3)
• Cut the mats. Size the drawings. Assemble it all. Realize you forgot to sign the drawing.
• Start over. 
And then there's the paintings:
• Maybe that background needs to change.
• Touchup on aisle three!
• I know I signed this painting somewhere ...
And then there's the booth itself:
• I need zip ties
• I need "s" hooks
• I need tarps for if it rains
• What if the trellis walls won't stay standing?
• Remember the hammer
• I have to have a vendor's license? A transient vendor's license?
And then there's everything else:
• Wear black so you don't detract from the work (really - on a hot summer day?)
• Candy and water at the booth will make you look friendly (oh good)
• You need a square for credit card purchases
• Make sure you have money (in case someone actually buys a painting)
• You need business cards
• You need social media
• You need to have your head examined!!

I could go on, but it might depress me. The adventure begins at 10 am on June 8th and lasts until 5 pm on June 9th. I'll be there -- in black -- with my paintings and drawings and candy and water and business cards -- to see what the world thinks of nancyminterartist. 

Hope to see you there.