Creating an Escape from Visible Reality by Painter Nancy Smith
My intention as an artist is to celebrate the feminine spirit and the beauty of our earth using shapes, texture and color. The choice of what to paint often comes from feelings I experience when observing nature. However, I have learned though inspired by a scene, I must allow my unconscious mind time to absorb it before I can paint it. For example, I was very inspired by the scenery of the Southwest on a trip several years ago, but I couldn’t figure out how to paint it until now.
My painting process is based on interaction with a surface. I begin by releasing the tyranny of realistic color and choose hues that emotionally resonate with my memory of an experience. I then think of textures I want to use and apply them to the canvas.
With those decisions made, I create the underpainting applying color randomly to the entire surface. At this stage I work with the surface loosely, much like dancing with a partner who is a memory of a scene. Once done, I use charcoal to divide the surface into sections (grids) which help me organize the composition and focus on different areas. This gives voice to the painting.
I sit with the painting and listen to what it wants to express. As it starts communicating, I respond by developing certain sections using negative painting. For example, I may paint around silhouettes of a row of tree trunks rather than the trunks themselves, allowing the background to define their shapes. This is my favorite part of the process. It is very meditative, and time stops.
Once I’ve made my way through most of the grids in the painting, I check to see if the areas are connected and the painting makes sense. I stare at it a lot and may adjust some color and shapes. When the painting makes itself clear, I stop.
My paintings reflect my emotional interaction with the Earth, capturing vibrancy and mood, with a little dose of magic thrown in. Using this process, I’m able to create my escape from visible reality and enter a world of my own.
Nancy is one of our featured artists this month. See her work alongside the other artists in our show “Earthly Realms,” through September 14th, 2025.