Vision Art making can be a vehicle for self-discovery and healing, as our curiosity opens inner portals, permitting access to what is hidden or lays buried. From this view, art making can serve as a conduit of self-healing as well as self-expression.
For me, art is about process, not product. Every step of the process from research, to gathering materials, to making and assembling, serves the maker, provided one is open and attentive. By slowing-down, listening and observing a keen awareness is developed allowing one to notice physical signs, emotional cues and subtle shifts. This attention and reflection develops into a mending tool, which can be instantly accessible. For me, this is key.
By focusing on recycling materials in tandem, the discarded is reawakened, thus giving voice to the rejected. For me, the purpose is restored.
Mission Having developed tools of self; discovery, expression and healing, my aim is to assist others in cultivating access to their inner world and augmenting their curiosity.
Bio Nancy’s approach to art flows from a lifetime of design, illustration, travel and extensive studies in many mediums. Her approach is intuitive and expressive. At the start of her “art” career she was a featured artist at The Chopra Center, (Deepak Chopra), in La Costa. Her pieces hang in private collections all over North America and North Africa.
A native of Canada, Nancy’s design career flourished in Montreal, NYC and Encinitas, California. She is a graduate of Dawson College (Montreal), studied fine arts at Concordia University, (Montreal) and School of Visual Arts (Morocco and New York City). Ever curious, her ongoing creative interests are in cyanotype and printmaking, mixed media, art journaling, hand-stitching and book arts. She is an arts educator, an Expressive Arts Therapy coach, and a member of the San Diego Book Arts. Nancy was selected for the curated “Convergence” art residency in Tetouan, Morocco in 2016 as well as two residencies at Desert Dairy in Twentynine Palms, California in 2021 and 2022.
Artist Statement The connecting threads of my design background, insatiable curiosity and need to make images are expressed in my work. The harmony of these elements is evident in the overlapping colors and patterns that inform the pieces. Whether creating traditional monotypes on an etching press, or rapid fire prints with a gelatin plate, following the muse through the art journaling process or making books — I feel at home when the unexpected magic of art-making occurs. It’s an act of letting go. Discarding any road map allows the creative spirit to present itself and illuminate the path. The more open, flexible and fluid I remain, the more powerful the image becomes. I am drawn to natural beauty, the unseen and exotic not-known, which all influence what I make.
Pictured are the muses… Minka and Lena with Nancy.
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
ART RESIDENCIES
Six-Week Artist Residency 2016 — Green Olive Arts, Tetouan Morocco
Desert Dairy Artist Residency 2021 — Desert Dairy, Twentynine Palms CA
Desert Dairy Artist Residency 2022 — Desert Dairy, Twentynine Palms CA
Desert Dairy Artist Residency 2024 — Desert Dairy, Twentynine Palms CA
TRAINING
Expressive Arts Therapy Coaching Training — Carlsbad CA
EDUCATION
STITCH
Tattoo Your Clothes/Visible Mending — Michelle Montjoy, The Athenaeum La Jolla CA
Fabric Collage and Stitching — Debra Wiess, VAWAA virtual
Slow Stitching Fabric Coasters — Debra Wiess, VAWA virtual
Improvisational Fabric Collage & Stitching — Debra Wiess, VAWAA virtual
Slow Stitching a Moment In Time — Debra Wiess, VAWAA virtual
Embroidery On and Off the Page — Iviva Olenick, NY Center for Book Arts virtual
Feltloom Workshop — Jmy James Kidd, Yucca Valley Material Lab, Yucca Valley CA
Mystery Quilt Improv — Zak Foster, virtual
Narrative Embroidery — Maggie Muth, virtual
PRINTMAKING
Screenprinting — UCSD, San Diego CA
Monotype & Screenprinting — Space for Art, San Diego CA
Monotype Workshop — Amber George, The Athenaeum, San Diego CA
Linocut Block Printing Workshop — Spacecraft, Brooklyn NY
Monotype — Loretta Kramer, Art Academy, San Diego CA
Beyond Monotype Intensive — Ron Pokrasso, Idylwild Arts, Idylwild CA
Letterpress — Sibyl Rubottom, Bay Park Press, San Diego CA
Monotype & Solar Plates — Ron Pokrasso, Timberwick Studio, Santa Fe NM
Monotype — Ron Pokrasso, School of the Arts, Fallbrook CA
Monotype & Solar Plates — Dan Welden, School of the Arts, Fallbrook CA
Monotype Pamper Session — Ron Pokrasso, School of the Arts, Fallbrook CA
Primitive Printmaking — VAWAA virtual
Ocean Cyanotypes — Judi Tentor, The Athenaeum, San Diego CA
Cyanotype Portraits — Judi Tentor, The Athenaeum, San Diego CA
Gel Printing Summit — Drew Steinbrecher, Virtual
BOOK ARTS
Bookbinding & Paper Making — Kevin Greenland, SDAD, San Diego CA
The Book as Art: Sculpture or Wall Art — Laura Wait, SDBA, San Diego CA
Printing on Alternative Surfaces — Kathy Anne White, SDBA, San Diego CA
Cover to Cover — Seth Apter, SDBA, San Diego CA
For Your Eyes Only — Seth Apter, SDBA, San Diego CA
Cube Book — Gina Pisello, San Diego CA
Sketch-Book-Stitch Workshop — Cas Holmes, San Diego CA
Bookmaking Workshop — Gina Pisello Cardiff CA
Book Arts & Letterpress — Sibyl Rubottom, San Diego CA
Travel Journals — Jim Stiven, Cardiff CA
Traditional Moroccan Bookbinding — VAWAA virtual
Mongolian Coptic Stitched Book — Terri Thoman, Paper Arts, Dallas TX
Magical Box of Mysteries — Keri Schroeder, Maine Media, virtual
Drum Leaf Binding & its Precedents — Scott McCarney, NY Center for Book Arts, virtual
Structured & Altered Books — Helen Shafer Garcia, Fallbrook School of the Arts, Fallbrook CA
Long Stitch Binding At Home — Scott McCarney, NY Center for Book Arts, virtual
Board Book Basics — Drew Steinbrecher, virtual
MIXED MEDIA & PAINTING
Painting & Sculpture — Concordia University, Montreal Canada
Collage Techniques — Jonathan Talbot, Junction City OR
Art as Improv — Sas Colby, SDBA, San Diego CA
Collage Masterclass — San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego CA
Expressive Painting — Jesse Reno, Idylwild Arts, Idylwild CA
Moroccan Mail Art — Juliana Coles, Encinitas CA
Altered Ephemera Workshop— Shelley Watkins, Encinitas CA
Mixed Media Mash-up — Alexander Kohnke, San Diego CA
Sheer Fused Collage — Jane Lafazio, San Diego CA
Watercolor & Mixed Media — Helen Shafer Garcia, Mexico
Surrealist Collage — Ellen Speert, Encinitas CA
Painting Workshop — Pauline Agnew, Paris France
Turkish Paper Marbling — Baykul Baris, Paris France
Diebenkorn Painting — OMA, Oceanside CA
Altered Ephemera Workshop— Shelley Watkins, San Diego CA
Golden Water Media — Nancy Seiler Cardiff CA
Seed Art Lab Online — Sophie Munns, virtual
Gouache Portrait Workshop — August Wren, Sketchbook Skool, virtual
The Art of Turkish Marbling and Secret of Water — VAWAA, virtual
Eco Dying on Paper — Janis Reeser Carlsbad CA
Collage — Roni Gross, NY Center for Book Arts, virtual
Symbolism of Color — VAWAA, virtual
Zest Watercolor Week Long — Este Macleod, virtual
HEALING ARTS
Art Journaling — Orly Avineri, Del Mar CA
Art Journaling — Roxanne Coble, San Marcos CA
Art Journaling — Kelly Kilmer, San Diego CA
Art Journaling — Juliana Coles, San Diego CA
The Heart of Vedanta — Peter Bolland Carlsbad CA
Art Journaling — Susie Zolghadri, San Diego CA
Art Journaling — Kelly Kilmer, San Diego CA
Creative Self Explorations: Feldenkrais & Painting — Donna Ray & Ellen Speert, Encinitas CA
Archetypal Shadow Work — Anna Celestino, Vista CA
Secrets of Intuitive Healing — Dr. Judith Orloff, virtual
Women’s Art Therapy — Ellen Speert
The Art & Science of Freeing the Voice — Silvia Nakkach, Encinitas CA
The Science of Sound Healing & Tuning Forks — Dr. Beaulieu, Encinitas CA
The Dream Journal: Source of Soulful Creativity — Victoria Rabinowe, Encinitas CA
MISCELLANEOUS
Mark Making Tools — Al Rodriguez, San Diego CA
Sandal Workshop — Debra Hovel, Makerville, Pinyon Pines CA
Writing Workshop — Margaret Wolff, Encinitas CA
Sandal Workshop — Debra Hovel, Makerville, Pinyon Pines CA
Punch Rug Hooking — Christie Beniston, Solana Beach CA
Writing with Sound Workshop — Cherie Kephart & Diáne Mandle, Carlsbad, CA
DESIGN
Commercial Art Degree — Dawson College, Montreal Canada
Graphic Design Summer Program — SVA, Tangier Morocco
Graphic Design Studies — Milton Glaser, SVA, New York NY
Studies in Digital Media — Palomar College, San Marcos CA
———————————————————————————————
NANCY’S CLASSES
Your Story Through Stitch: La Jolla Athenaeum, CA 04/2024
Gelli Print & Bookarts for Kids: 29 Palms Creative Center, Twentynine Palms, CA 01/2024
Gelli Print & Bookarts for Adults: 29 Palms Creative Center, Twentynine Palms, CA 01/2024
Your Story Through Stitch: Slowfiber, Monterey CA 06/2022
Zine-Zine Mini-Magazine: Bonita Library, Bonita CA 05/2022
In Retrospect & Process: NWP Studio, Encinitas CA 05/2021
Mixed Media Mini Masterpieces: Birthday Celebration, Mission Hills CA 01/2018
Art As A Spiritual Practice: The Chopra Center, Carlsbad CA 02/2018
Gelli Print Workshop: NWP Studio, Encinitas CA 04/2018
Art Journaling: The Chopra Center, Carlsbad CA 04/2018
Gelli Print Workshop: Makerville, Pinyon Pines CA 04/2018
Art Journaling: NWP Studio, Encinitas CA 05/2018
Intro To Art Journaling: Art Lounge on 101, Encinitas CA 04/2017
Gelli Print & Bookarts: Art Lounge on 101, Encinitas CA 02/2017
Gelli Print & Bookarts: Camp de Benneville Pines, Angelus Oaks CA 08/2016
Intro To Art Journaling: Art Lounge on 101, Encinitas CA 07/2016
Intro To Art Journaling: Art Lounge on 101, Encinitas CA 06/2016
Gelli Print Playshop: Art Lounge on 101, Encinitas CA 05/2016
Gelli Print Kids Playshop: Grean Olive Studio, Tetouan Morocco 04/2016
Intro To Art Journaling: Art Lounge on 101, Encinitas CA 04/2015
Gelli Print & Bookarts: Camp de Benneville Pines, Angelus Oaks CA 08/2015
Gelli Print Playshop: Pnina Gold’s Studio, Normal Heights CA 11/2014
Gelli Print Playshop: Joan Crone’s Studio, Mission Hills CA 10/2014
Gelli Print Playshop: Sara Rosenbluth’s Studio, La Jolla CA 08/2014
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
EXHIBITS
Jan/Feb 2020 LOUDER THAN WORDS. SDBA Group Show, Francis Parker Gallery — San Diego CA
Mar/May 2017 BEFORE, DURING & AFTER. Solo Show. First Street Gallery & Framing — Encinitas CA
Jun/Dec 2016 2 PERSON SHOW. Hera Hub — Carlsbad & San Diego CA
Apr/Oct 2016 MOROCCAN JOURNEY. Solo Show. Art Lounge on 101 — Encinitas CA
Oct/Nov 2015 CHERCHEZ LA FEMME: Group Show. Woman’s Museum of CA — San Diego CA
Mar/Apr 2014 LUMINOUS: 2 Person Show. Civic Center Gallery — Encinitas CA
Nov/Dec 2013 ART SPEAKS: Expressions of Hope & Healing, Group Show. Art Beat — Vista CA
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
IN THE COLLECTION OF
A. Kazi — Mill Valley CA
J. Beadel — Davie FL
C. Hurley — Ajax ON Canada
P. Martinez — Tucson AZ
P. Stafford — Oakland CA
W. Cohen — San Clemente CA
L. Hampe — Kamloops BC Canada
A. Agraphiotis — Solana Beach CA
C. Schmiedeknecht — Bothell WA
S. Lee — Sioux City IA
J. Racine — Carlsbad CA
S. James — Morongo Valley CA
D. Simon — San Diego CA
T. Herr — Encinitas CA
J. Johnson — Encinitas CA
K. Tortora — Oceanside CA
K. Kubale — Williams Bay WI
M. Grio — Orlando FL
D. Banks — Calgary AB Canada
S. Tucker — Kansas City MO
M. Puglisi — Washington DC
S. Patel — San Diego CA
P. Hacker — San Diego CA
B. Contardi — San Diego CA
K. Giuliano — San Diego CA
T. Hoching — San Diego CA
T. Moshref — San Diego CA
J. Stone — Carlsbad CA
E. Fischer — San Diego CA
