Nancy Rynes' Artist's Statement
 

As an oil painter, I find inspiration in the energy, forms, movement, and colors of the American West. My style is contemporary: bold compositions that are filled with color, balanced by a blend of authoritative brushwork and movement. It is art with a definite presence, prompting the viewer to see the people, animals, and landscapes around them in a new way. Sometimes calm, other times humorous or playful, my paintings show the viewer that the world in our immediate vicinity is filled with as much personality and beauty as our most favorite National Parks.

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My goal is to bring even more life, vitality, and impact to my work by incorporating lessons learned from noted contemporary artists and deceased masters. Learning the finer points of painting from these teachers greatly influenced the use of bold brushwork, color, light, movement, and shadow in my own paintings. After a serious cycling accident that nearly left me paralyzed, my main artistic focus shifted to larger and more energetic works. 

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While the beauty and movement of horses and other animals has been my primary subject matter for several years, recently I have reconnected to my appreciation of dramatic and bold figurative paintings and landscapes as well. My process starts with studies and sketches. Once I have the composition and color scheme laid out, I then prepare the canvas with a slightly absorbent ground. Once that is dry I transfer the composition from my sketches to the canvas with graphite.

 

The first layer of paint consists of often bright, vibrant, and varied colors that I choose specifically to shine through gaps in the upper layers of paint, which gives the finished work an unexpected glow. Once the initial paint has dried, I come in with the middle layers to add substance to the forms, movement, and energy of the piece. On most paintings, one or two additional sessions are needed to refine the form and colors, polish up the brushwork, and vary the edges.

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Currently I am focusing on exploring even larger figurative paintings of women in the west - in my opinion, and underrepresented subject in western art. These pieces have more gutsy compositions and unusual lighting. I enjoy the challenge of continually improving my work, and see my art as a way to bring a little energy and joy to the viewers’ lives.

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Short Biography

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Nancy Rynes' love for animals and the outdoors began early, as a child on her family’s small farm. Art, writing, working on the land, and riding her Choctaw pony were a part of her life in the country. As a child, she often wandered the fields and wild areas with pencil and sketchbook, drawing anything and everything she could find. Horses, cattle, ducks, goats, and chickens were some of her earliest subjects. This love of drawing led her to study fine art at the American Academy of Art in Chicago where she learned classical techniques of working from life in charcoal and oil. She later went on to major in geology and archaeology at Northern Illinois University and the University of Colorado, Boulder, and spent several seasons as an archaeological artist near Amman, Jordan.

Nancy later returned to fine art to study with noted western landscape artists Ralph Oberg, Dan Young, Matt Smith, and Ken Elliott. Learning the finer points of landscape painting from these artists greatly influenced her use of bold brushwork, color, light, and shadow in her own paintings. But after a serious cycling accident that nearly left her paralyzed, Nancy's main artistic focus shifted. The freedom, energy, and movement of both the people and animals of the American Southwest inspired her to paint larger and more energetically. Now, most of her paintings are devoted to these larger, more energetic, southwestern-themed works.

The artist has been honored with several one-person shows, as well as awards in juried competitions. Her work has been juried into shows such as the Phippen Western Art Show, Salon International, Draft Horse Classic, Art of the Animal Kingdom, Arts for the Parks, OPA National, International Exhibition on Animals in Art, and many other national and regional juried shows and competitions. 

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Education

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American Academy of Art, Chicago IL: Fine Art


Northern Illinois University: Geology and Archaeology

Univ of Colorado at Boulder: Geology and Archaeology (graduate work)

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