Issue  No. 3

American Impressionist Society, Master Artist

"Nothing can imitate nature, but I hope my paintings will convey a single quiet moment of the landscape in its raw beauty."

In Her Words...

My formal education was in liberal arts, psychology and business management. I spent several years in the business world before pursuing my long time interest in art. As a child, I was constantly drawing and was also interested in art history. After my business career, I threw myself into studying art at a rapid pace. I attended Mission Renaissance art school in Austin, Texas, a school dedicated to the study of the "Masters". While in Austin, I also attended many classes at the Laguna Gloria Art Museum School of Art. Since then, I have attended many workshops throughout the United States. My early workshop studies were dedicated to colorful landscapes and still life, so many of my instructors were known as colorists.

Several years ago, I felt the need to change my direction after some east coast and European travel. I became very interested in a more subdued tonalist palette and started studying painters from the 19th and 20th centuries such as Inness, Levitan, Twachtman, Schmid and Chatham. I discovered Michael Workman and Scott Christensen several years ago and studied with them consistently.

My painting style has changed over the years from a bright color alla prima style, to now a more tonalist classical approach for which I was initially trained. This more methodical way of painting is quite stimulating and challenging to me. In addition to my plein air painting, I am in my studio five to six days each week an average of six to eight hours a day.

My husband and I travel extensively and when we travel, most of my painting is done "en plein air". I take a lot of photographs and use the photos along with my field studies as reference guides to paint my large paintings in the studio. My subject matter comes from all over the Unites States and Europe. I strive for my paintings to have a universal appeal and not just represent a particular region. I feel that my work is about human emotions in time and space represented by light, darkness, warmth, cool, wet, dry, etc. These elements brought together should evoke a very human response of how one feels upon viewing a painting. If they connect that way, then I feel my work is validated.

Profile of this Modern-Day Master

Nancy Bush is a native Texan, born in Austin and currently residing in Fredericksburg, Texas.

Her pursuit of art has taken her to many beautiful places in the world to study and paint a wide variety of subject matter. "Landscape is my love and is always a challenge, spiritually and emotionally. The variety and vastness of it can sometimes be overwhelming. Simplification is the answer. "Less Is More." The last light of the day or daybreak interests me more than other times of the day. I also love gray, cloudy days. Trying to capture the spirit and emotion of what is happening before my eyes is the greatest challenge. "I want the viewer to feel the physicality and emotional essence of the subject matter of the painting."

Nancy's greatest influence in her art has come from the 19th and 20th century painters George Inness, Isaak Levitan, Bruce Crane and Russell Chatham.

Publications

• May 2004 - Art Galleries and Artists of The South

• November 2004 - Wildlife Art Magazine, "Artists Of Note"

• November 2004 - Southwest Art Magazine, "The Edge Of Light"

• January 2005 - Art Of The West Magazine

• May 2005 - Art Talk Magazine

• May 2006 - Landscapes of New Mexico, "Paintings Of The Land of Enchantment"

• October 2006 - Plein Air New Mexico, The Jack Richeson Fine Art Series, Volume One

• March 2008 - American Art Collector Magazine

• June 2008 - Western Art & Architecture Magazine, "Painting The Essence"

• October 2008 - American Artist Magazine, "Using Subtle Tones To Express Deep Emotions"

• March 2009 - Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, "Artist To Watch"

• August 2009 - Western Art Collector, "Beauty In Nature"

• November 2009 - Art Of The West Magazine "A Sense Of Peace"

• December 2009 - Southwest Art Magazine "Star Power"

• July 2010 - Fine Art Publications, Santa Fe, New Mexico, "Texas Traditions"

• February 2011 - American Artist - Plein Air Painting, "Using Layering and Glazing to Create Emotive Tonalist Landscapes"

• May 2012 - Plein Air Magazine, Feature Article

Exhibitions and Awards

• March 2009 - The Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas

• February 2009 - Panhandle Plains Museum, Canyon, Texas

• May 2009 - Texas Art Gallery, Dallas, Texas

• August 2009 - Astoria Fine Art Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming

• October 2009 - InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

• October 2009 - Laguna Beach Museum, Laguna Beach, California

• October 2009 - Albuquerque Museum Foundation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• December 2009 - Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado

• March 2010 - InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

• March 2010 - The Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas

• March 2010 - C. M .Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana

• August 2010 - Heritage Auction Galleries, Dallas, Texas

• September 2010 - C. M. Russell Museum, Great Falls, Montana

• September 2010 - InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

• October 2010 - Insight Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

• October 2010 - Richland Fine Art, Nashville, Tennessee, American Impressionist Society 11th Annual National Juried Event

• October 2010 - Laguna Beach Museum, Laguna Beach, California

• October 2010 - Albuquerque Museum Foundation, Albuquerque, New Mexico

• November 2010 - Ventana Fine Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico

• March 2011 - The Briscoe Western Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas

• April 2011 - InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

• October 2011 - Saks Galleries, Denver, Colorado

• October 2011 - Mountainsong Galleries, Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, American Impressionist Society 12th Annual National Juried Event

• November 2011 - National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

• March 2012 - Briscoe Museum of Western Art, San Antonio, Texas

Upcoming Events

• June - Sept 2012 - Museum of Western Art, Corning, New York

• September 2012 - InSight Gallery, Fredericksburg, Texas

• November 2012 - Eckert & Ross Fine Art, Indianapolis, Indiana, American Impressionist Society 13th Annual National Juried Event

• November 2012 - American Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Tucson, Arizona