Nancy Sutter, Tucson
Member Since February 2011
Artist Statement
The youngest of five children, Nancy has spent the largest part of her childhood globetrotting with her family. Nancy’s father, a communications engineer was able to take his family with him on many projects, bringing his family to Cameroon, Italy and Iran, to name a few of the exotic locations the Thomas clan called home.
Nancy’s earliest memories involved traveling. To compensate for the boredom of these long road trips, Nancy began drawing at the ripe old age of 5. “I couldn’t help it, it’s natural, even to this day, and if I get bored I doodle. I always have a pen in hand. Maybe that’s a compulsive thing on my part.” Nancy is a self taught artist.
“…well that’s not totally accurate. Let’s just say, my art education is not based on formal training. To be honest I don’t believe education begins and ends with school, I think that’s a good starting point but it’s up to us to continue on our own path of education.”
Nancy has made her mission to hone her skills and find her personal vision.
“…art is such a personal avocation, it allows us to express our deepest emotions and share them with the world. It can’t get more personal then that.”
Nancy has had to do some juggling with her personal life and her art, when her daughter arrived. By the time Taylor was four she was in the studio with her mother. The only way that Nancy could both work and keep an eagle eye on her daughter, she set her up at her very own work station. Taylor had her own pencil set and markers to play with, and it was from these play sessions that the “Wing” series came about.
“…Taylor was great, she just went to town, slap dashing her drawing. The result of her work helped me to get pass a huge dry spell. I took those line drawings, and went back into them popping out what images that seemed to jump. From that collaboration, we completed Shadow Wing, Native Wing, and Bird of Thunder.”
A great part of Nancy’s work has always been influenced by the location she is living in at the time.
“…living in Florida was only conducive to work in watercolor and acrylic. Works in California produced work in acrylic and pastel and Arizona it’s all about the oil. Even though I paint from my own experiences and from my own imagination, the media is always dictated by the environment. Humid climates are not conducive to oil painting, and I like to work more with my hands (tactile) when the weather is cold. Keeps me limber.”
Nancy is a former Florida Watercolor Society member and her work Another Sleepless Night was selected to take part in an all State traveling show. Her work has been seen in Tampa Florida, Northern California, and Chicago
Illinois. Her most current show in 2005 (Oil and Water Street) had the town of Sausalito, CA all a buzzed. This was her first showing of her work since she recovered from breast cancer. On that very opening night, she sold 2 pieces to an Aids Clinic and to the Marin Hospice Center.
“…it was funny and ironic, but I had painted those pieces when I was extremely angry and scared. The doctor and a nurse from these two organizations happened to hear about the show, and they both bought pieces for their patients.
I am looking forward to the future and what the South West desert has in store for me. It all looks bright. The Elemental series, and to be honest I am not sure how many there will be, the series keeps evolving and combines two passions I have., the stark cleanness of the desert and water.”
This is just the beginning…
www.nancysutter.com nsutterart@yahoo.com
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