ARTIST STATEMENT

I have always been interested in pattern and color – dating back to many years of sewing and working with fabric. I also formally studied weaving, which was a real cornerstone in my development as an artist. However, it was when I discovered the world of paint that I found a vehicle with which I could fully explore in a fresh and immediate way the ideas I have always been interested in.

I still find myself constantly referring back to that world of textiles – grids, patterns, and textures as I work to bring together the many disparate sources of my inspiration. Fabric, Sienese painting, Persian miniatures, Outsider Art, Aboriginal paintings, and a love of doodling are among the sources that I go to as I develop my very personal vocabulary and vision.

With each painting I aim for a sense of purity and mystery, infused with light and depth, painted layer upon layer until I reach the gem-like quality I am seeking.

BIO

Nancy Wagner is a painter with a rich and lively sense of color and pattern. She studied weaving at Boston University in the 1970s, which then evolved into a lifelong exploration of artistic expression through the use of oil paints. Her love of travel and visual exploration has led her around the world and around the corner, continually gathering ideas and images to utilize in the studio. Over the years she has participated in several artist residencies, from the hills of western Massachusetts to the mountains of Wyoming. She has shown regularly in the New England area and her work is included in many major collections. Nancy currently lives and works and plays and paints in Portland, Maine with her husband, David, and their dog Posey.