Hello!
It’s a pleasure to be sharing some of my art with you. I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to live a life that is dominated by a love of art, art making, and design. I have always needed to express myself through art and after studying for my BFA in painting and psychology, I became an art therapist. For almost 30 years I have been practicing as an art therapist in various parts of Canada. I am thrilled to be able to take my passion for art and have a fulfilling career from it. It’s a joy to share this with clients and friends. I think that I am constantly curating imagery in my head on a daily basis. I am perpetually curious about people, their lives and their stories. I find it very inspiring to hear about other people’s lives through their unique lenses.
Having spent the majority of my career working with children, youth and their families I feel very connected to my child self. Being able to relate and be playful in my work as well as my art is a wonderful feeling. It’s always a huge compliment when people say they feel uplifted by my images.
I love history and have a deep fondness for architecture and especially old character houses. As a child I dreamt of becoming an architect and would draw blueprints for friends and family that I would customize as per their likes - so of course, every home had a pool and a library! Although I didn’t wind up choosing a career in architecture, I can be somewhat obsessed with it.Travel is another huge source of inspiration and I like to call myself a “nomadic homebody” because just as much as I love to travel I am also very happy to be at home with my art supplies and my family. I try to see the beauty in everyday life.
For quite some time I have wanted to get into children’s book illustration - yet, my art school training didn’t really prepare me for that on a technical level, always an avid drawer - I was never what I would consider an illustrator...in fact, art school in the 90s was mostly about making shocking and “deep” work and not “pretty pictures”. In art therapy training, the process is everything. For years, the clash of these messages cancelled out much in the way of art making in my daily life. I used to joke that my art was on life support. It wasn’t until after the birth of my first child in 2004, that I really started to dabble again...and later when I was struggling with the death of my father - I returned to making art for healing. Along the way, it became a way to synthesize and transform all the parts of my life past and present. It’s no coincidence that with the advent of social media and reading artist blogs - my desire to make art just grew stronger and stronger. Seeing what other artists are able to create and to live a life where art is a central aspect is so inspiring!
So, for 2021, my intention is to keep practicing, keep learning, keep going. I want to create images that go into children’s books and onto people’s walls. I want to inspire others and to use art to keep my dreams alive.
I invite you to reach out to me if you’re interested in knowing more about my work, general enquires, collaborations - especially children’s books, etc...
XO Nancy
Having spent the majority of my career working with children, youth and their families I feel very connected to my child self. Being able to relate and be playful in my work as well as my art is a wonderful feeling. It’s always a huge compliment when people say they feel uplifted by my images.
I love history and have a deep fondness for architecture and especially old character houses. As a child I dreamt of becoming an architect and would draw blueprints for friends and family that I would customize as per their likes - so of course, every home had a pool and a library! Although I didn’t wind up choosing a career in architecture, I can be somewhat obsessed with it.Travel is another huge source of inspiration and I like to call myself a “nomadic homebody” because just as much as I love to travel I am also very happy to be at home with my art supplies and my family. I try to see the beauty in everyday life.
For quite some time I have wanted to get into children’s book illustration - yet, my art school training didn’t really prepare me for that on a technical level, always an avid drawer - I was never what I would consider an illustrator...in fact, art school in the 90s was mostly about making shocking and “deep” work and not “pretty pictures”. In art therapy training, the process is everything. For years, the clash of these messages cancelled out much in the way of art making in my daily life. I used to joke that my art was on life support. It wasn’t until after the birth of my first child in 2004, that I really started to dabble again...and later when I was struggling with the death of my father - I returned to making art for healing. Along the way, it became a way to synthesize and transform all the parts of my life past and present. It’s no coincidence that with the advent of social media and reading artist blogs - my desire to make art just grew stronger and stronger. Seeing what other artists are able to create and to live a life where art is a central aspect is so inspiring!
So, for 2021, my intention is to keep practicing, keep learning, keep going. I want to create images that go into children’s books and onto people’s walls. I want to inspire others and to use art to keep my dreams alive.
I invite you to reach out to me if you’re interested in knowing more about my work, general enquires, collaborations - especially children’s books, etc...
XO Nancy