Meet Nancy Price | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy Price and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, why did you pursue a creative career?
I grew up with a great appreciation and love for art, surrounded by art that my parents had collected from around the world. As a child, I spent hours drawing and enjoyed frequent visits to art museums, where the Impressionists were always my favorite. Although I have always been drawn to various creative arts, including painting, photography and poetry, my educational background is as a clinical social worker. I soon recognized the power of art, combining art with therapy when helping young children overcome the trauma of abuse. While raising my children, I took private and group painting classes and workshops a variety of mediums including oil, pastel and watercolor. My focus on art took its first turn when we moved from Illinois to California. Inspired by the vast beauty of endless skies, seascapes and mountains, I began to paint more regularly. I was no longer working as a social worker, so I shifted my attention to art, getting accepted into numerous juried gallery shows in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County. When we moved to Arizona seven years ago, I became an empty nester. That is when I began to fully pursue a career as an artist. My husband had an art studio added to our home. I became a prolific painter, painting almost daily, earning awards and selling my artwork. I began to teach painting at after school programs and senior centers, and also became a contracted instructor for The Phoenix Center For The Arts and The Scottsdale Artists’ School.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is meant to give people a momentary visual vacation. I am not painting to create a political statement or to attempt to recreate a mirror image of what I see. My purpose is to impose a mood, a moment, a shock of color and light. I paint in a loose, colorful, impressionistic style. My primary focus is landscapes and pet portraits. I strive to obtain the essence of a landscape and a pet’s personality. My art is not about creating a photorealistic duplicate. My love of photography pairs well with painting. I get very excited about capturing a compelling composition in a photograph and then returning to my studio to provide that excitement and energy in my paintings. I find plein air painting, (painting outdoors on location), both exhilarating and challenging. I prefer to not have to deal with heat, bugs and wind so I tend to paint indoors. However, I am encouraging myself to be more resilient to the elements outside in order to study light and spontaneity in a different way.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I had never visited Arizona before I moved here. I was shocked by the multitude and diversity of things to do here. We constantly entertain out of town visitors. We live in walking distance from over a dozen amazing restaurants along 7th Street in Phoenix, including The Culinary Dropout. The shopping and dining in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area is superb. We take visitors to the Biltmore Fashion Park, Kierland Commons and Scottsdale’s Fashion Square. We also enjoy dining at local resorts as it feels like a staycation. Being a nature lover, I recommend hiking Piestewa Peak, Camelback or one of the many scenic trails in Scottsdale. However the most stunning place of all, of course, is Sedona. Along the drive there, I would recommend stopping at Out Of Africa or Arcosanti. In Sedona, take a Pink Jeep Tour and dine at Cress On Oak Creek. Then travel the breathtaking route 89A to Flagstaff. Once there, take a scenic chairlift ride at Arizona Snowball. Continue heading up North to the Grand Canyon, of course, and then to Page, which borders Utah. There are so many stunning vistas there, including Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon. The scenery is magnificent! On the way back to Phoenix, have lunch at Haunted Hamburger in Jerome, an old ghost town or go wine tasting in nearby Cottonwood.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have been very fortunate to receive encouragement and mentorship from a variety of accomplished artists including John Howard, John Ursillo, Lorelle Miller and Edna Dapo. I also attended workshops with a variety of renowned artists at The Scottsdale Artists’ School including Christine Debrosky, Jerry Salinas, Linda Glover Gooch, Julie Gilbert Pollard, Kim Johnson Nechtman, and Amery Bohling. When I first moved to Arizona, I took classes with Edna Dapo, the director of the painting program at The Phoenix Center For The Arts. I owe so much to Edna Dapo, who is the one who recommended me for my first teaching position. Christine Debrosky, an eminent pastelist, began my passion for pastels. Although I had taken pastel classes from other teachers, she has been my role-model and inspiration. Additionally, my husband has been an amazing support in my creative pursuits. Upon moving to Arizona, he supported me in turning down a full-time salaried social work position in lieu of pursuing my artistic dream. Additionally, he had a beautiful art studio built for me, so I no longer have to paint in our hot garage.

Website: www.nancypriceart.com

Instagram: nancyyy9

Facebook: Nancy Goren Price