Artist's Statement:
\nThe soul calls one to be an artist. I responded to the call as a young child\, and I continue to do so today. When I was young\, it seemed like I was never meant to be an artist even though I fervently made drawings and paintings. My youth was spent working in my father&rsquo\;s fields and sa wmill in an isolated Appalachian community in southeastern Indiana. Opport unities to become a &ldquo\;real&rdquo\; artist were very few and not alwa ys within my reach. My early struggles\, however\, showed me that being an artist is not always afforded through affluence\, opportunity\, and privi lege. On the contrary\, the qualities that really benefit an artist are pe rsistence\, learning new ideas and techniques and\, most importantly\, the continual practice of making art.
\nAfter studying traditional Japa nese color woodblock printing in Japan\, I was fascinated with the natural and innate qualities of watercolor. Since my time in Japan in 2024\, I ma de the mokuhanga prints and watercolor paintings shown here. The paintings were also inspired by Japanese woodblock prints. I combine watercolor on paper with the use of Japanese-style hake brushes transforming the absorbe nt paper into intervals of vibrant colors. I create repetitive strokes wit h the brush that are meditative and healing. I hope that viewers of my wor k find solace and repose while experiencing the instinctual joy and passio n of color.
\nArtist's Bio:
\nNancy Steele-Ma kasci is an interdisciplinary visual artist and art educator. She makes ar t in a wide range of media including reproducible print media\, painting\, drawing\, and book arts. Nancy continually encourages others to make art and to pursue their dreams of becoming artists in her position as Professo r of Art in the Department of Art &\; Design at Utah Valley University in Orem\, Utah where she has taught courses in painting\, drawing\, printm aking and art education.
\nA native Hoosier from eastern Indiana\, N ancy received an MFA in Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MA in Art from Ball State University in Muncie\, Indiana. She also completed a BA in Visual Arts Education (magna cum laude) at Ball State Un iversity. During 2024\, Nancy completed an arts residency at the MI-LAB in Echizen\, Japan where she focused on honing her skills and knowledge of t he advanced techniques of mokuhanga also known as traditional Japanese woo dblock printing.
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