Standard artist photo nancy eckels

Nancy Eckels

Gallery

"Inspiration is more likely to strike when you are sitting in your studio, brush in hand, surrounded by paint."

As an abstract painter, I want to make something new, something that exists only in my head. I don’t want to re-create something that already exists. I’ve often thought that abstract art is the purest form of what many consider “original”, or one-of-a-kind art. An artist can paint the Grand Canyon over and over, and they can paint it wonderfully and expressively, but it’s still the Grand...

Read More About Nancy

... Canyon. However, you can’t see a piece of abstract art any other place but on that one piece of canvas, and that, to me, is really a one-of-a-kind original.
My paintings are a combination of sculpture and painting. I begin with a texture medium, which I sculpt by shaping, carving and manipulating on the canvas. When I apply the texture, I keep in mind a loose composition and try to imagine what it might become. This sculpture ultimately helps me figure out what to do with the paint as I proceed. After a couple days of drying, I sand it a bit and begin to apply paint to the highly textured surface.
I begin with only a vague idea of where I’m headed. I will usually start with either a tried and true color combination, or a new mixture of color recently spotted in a flower field, on an old piece of wood, or in a photograph. I’m always looking at color to explore new ways to make colors react against each other, or to make adjustments to some of my often-used combinations to change how they relate to each other.
I begin by layering colors on each other for depth and interest. Most of this layering comes from instinct. I don’t think too much about it, but react to what is appearing on the canvas. This is a bit of subconscious creativity that is better off when leaving my brain on autopilot rather than fully connected. I don’t know why this works, but thinking through each stroke has never given me the desired effect. Much of my painting time is spent listening to books on tape. This engages the part of the brain that interferes with my painting and keeps it busy while the rest of me creates. I love making the texture, color and composition the ONLY things I need to concentrate on when I paint. It frees my imagination.
I’m always asked, “How do you know it’s finished?” If it’s not speaking to me, it’s not finished, and I continue applying more and more paint until it is. It’s just a feeling I get when I look at it.

BIO
As a child, little did Nancy Eckels know when she won a prize in a children’s art contest, it would be a hint of what her future would hold. She had submitted a small still life drawing of a composition that her mother had set up for her, and the reward was having the drawing reproduced in the company magazine where her father worked. Of course, other hints were there. The most obvious being the fact that her mother and father met in an oil painting class and together took lessons from a famous east coast illustrator named Frank E. Schoonover. Eckels’ aunts and uncles were all artists, so she and her sister (who is also an artist) were immersed in art from the beginning. When her mother’s family got together, there was a lot of giggling, storytelling, and art conversation. Whenever she visited her aunts and uncles, there was always a chat with them about whatever they had just painted or sculpted.
A childhood full of exposure to art began in upstate New York in the 1950s. When she was 7, Eckels’ father, a chemical engineer in the defense industry, was transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah where she did most of her growing up amidst beautiful scenery, snow skiing, and a handy proximity to many national parks. Her father considered their home National Park Central. Everyone who visited the family was soon hustled into the car and driven off to a national park like Zion, Yellowstone or Arches. Eckels has visited many of the parks…several of them more than once. In addition, the family spent time in the mountains fishing and having picnics in the rustic canyons east of Salt Lake City. Her father was instrumental in instilling a love of everything mother nature could supply.
Her mother stayed at home to raise her two daughters, and in addition, was often involved in creative endeavors. She taught the sisters many of the lessons of art. Eckels participated in art as a child, drawing portraits of her favorite celebrities, and sketching still life compositions.
There was never a pivotal moment or event when she suddenly knew that she wanted to be an artist…Eckels just always dabbled at it, even when involved in other pursuits. She knew early on that she wanted to be in show business. She went to a college in Southern California that emphasized the performing arts, and after graduation, Eckels spent 25 years behind the cameras in the television industry in Los Angeles. She was a director on a daytime drama called, “The Bold and the Beautiful” when she decided to try art as a profession. She wanted to do something that was truly an expression of herself, that didn’t involve the opinions and influences of others. She began to paint full time and within a few months, was participating in art shows and festivals all over the U.S. Wanting to get her work in front of art lovers as fast as she could, she realized that these shows were, at least temporarily, the best way to do that. In addition to her education from family artists, Eckels participated in workshops from several experimental artists who influenced her, getting her headed in the right direction. Among those were Carole Barnes, Pat Dews and Katherine Chang Liu. She also spent a lot of time looking at art in books, museums and galleries.
Since her work is totally abstract, it comes entirely from her head, heart, and imagination. Anything that has contributed to her sense of color, texture and composition, becomes the basis of what eventually comes from her hands and brushes. Her visits with nature during her childhood were, she is sure, a very big part of what comes from her brain when she’s painting. Her mother, a traditional watercolorist, has jokingly stated she would be interested in seeing the inside of that brain.
Developing her technique has been, and probably will always be, an ongoing and delightful pursuit. The most difficult part early on was reigning in her impulse to try everything at least once. When she finally developed a look that was all hers, it happened because she kept what she liked about her work, and gradually let the rest slip away.
Eckels says she is influenced by everything she sees. For instance, she’ll see a painting, or flower garden, or photograph that contains a certain combination of colors and will try to use that in her next painting. She explains that she really has no major influences that relate to specific artists, but she’s sure that she subconsciously uses ideas from every artist whose work she has looked at or admired. She says, “I have always had the idea in my head that I did not want to be like anyone else. I did not want to be average, and I did not want my work to look like anyone else’s work. I remember my artist aunt visiting me in my art booth during a show years ago and mentioning that she had been looking at the work of my neighbor artist. She told me that she could tell who that artist had studied with because the work was similar to the work of the teacher. I thought that was the worst thing I would ever want to be told….that my work looked like someone else’s.”
Currently, she enjoys her life of “commuting” from her bedroom to her studio down the hall. It’s a great improvement from her years commuting by freeway to her television job. She has also left behind the days of traveling long distances to fairs and festivals which has given her more time to paint and enjoy other aspects of her life.
Art is a solitary endeavor, so social occasions are important. She especially appreciates her three local art friends who join her for art lunches. They talk art marketing, art making, and enjoy some mutual ego-boosting. She says it’s a wonderful grounding experience to have these friends, and they truly appreciate each other.
Nancy has had a lifelong interest in the ocean. Eckels loves to snorkel and scuba dive. The colors of the beach, the tropical ocean, and the fish and corals that live below influence her when she paints.
Her other very unusual and unrelated obsession, in addition to painting is poker. Several decades ago, purely by accident, she watched a poker tournament on television and was fascinated by the math, the odds, the bluffing, and, yes, the creativity of being a great poker player. She plays in a group once a week near her home, and occasionally travels to a big tournament.
Several years ago, Nancy was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She is healthy now, but through the chemo, two surgeries, radiation and recovery, the two things that kept her mind from dwelling on her treatment were painting and poker. She says that they were a great combination! In addition, she has a wonderful husband who is her best friend and greatest supporter. She explains, “We have been together for a very long time and he is priceless.” Currently, they live in Canyon Country, California, a beautiful area in the foothills about 40 miles north of Los Angeles.
Her mission continues. That is to continue to create special paintings that speak to her and her collectors.

No booth shot provided

Accomplishments
*Oct. 2018 2 artist show at Pacific Edge
Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
*Oct. 2017 Solo show at Pacific Edge
Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA
*3 Paintings on loan at the U.S. Embassy,
Burkina Faso, Africa through U.S. State
Dept. Art In Embassies Program
*3 artist exhibit at Stanford Art Spaces,
Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA
*3 years participation in the juried
Scottsdale Arts Festival at the Scottsdale
Center for the Performing Arts
*13 years participation in the juried La
Quinta Arts Festival, La Quinta, CA
*6 years participation in the juried Beverly Hills Arts Festival, Beverly Hills, CA.

AWARDS
*2nd place award for painting, Beverly Hills
Art Festival Spring 2016
*Finalist, The Artist’s Magazine Over 60
Competition 2014
*Finalist, The Artist’s Magazine Competition
2013
*Mayor’s Choice Award Rancho Mirage Art
Affaire 2012 and 2014
*Santa Clarita Artists Assn. First Place Gold
Award 2000, 2001
*Santa Clarita Artists Assn. Best of Show
2000, 2001
*Santa Clarita Artists Assn. Masters
Category 2nd Place 2006, 2007

Medium fancy rocks blue for ah

Fancy Rocks Blue
Paintings: Acrylic
$8500.00

Medium some like it hot for ah

Some Like It Hot
Paintings: Acrylic
$6500.00

 
Medium the golden line for ah

The Golden Line
Paintings: Acrylic
$3800.00

Medium cool sparkle for ah

Cool Sparkle
Paintings: Acrylic
$4800.00

Medium ocean churn for ah

Ocean Churn
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

 
Medium barely contained for ah

Barely Contained
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

Medium deep world for ah

Deep World
Paintings: Acrylic
$1700.00

Medium earth and fire for ah

Earth and Fire
Paintings: Acrylic
$1800.00

 
Medium sudden gust for ah more green

Sudden Gust
Paintings: Acrylic
$6500.00

Medium watery weather 3000

Watery Weather
Paintings: Acrylic
$3600.00

Medium bubble over 2000

Bubble Over
Paintings: Acrylic
$5400.00

 
Medium splashy rocks 2000

Splashy Wet
Paintings: Acrylic
$4800.00

Medium city glitz 2000

City Glitz
Paintings: Acrylic
$3800.00

Medium release for ah

Release
Paintings: Acrylic
$6500.00

 
Medium separations 3000

Separations
Paintings: Acrylic
$3900.00

Medium waves and wet sand diptych 3000

Waves and Wet Sand Diptych
Paintings: Acrylic
$2400.00

Medium makin  me smile 2000

Makin' Me Smile
Paintings: Acrylic
$2700.00

 
Medium a serenely quiet sea 3000

A Serenely Quiet Sea
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

Medium windy autumn 2000

Windy Autumn
Paintings: Acrylic
$4800.00

Medium urban seaside 2000

Urban Seaside
Paintings: Acrylic
$6500.00

 
Medium soothing for ah

Soothing
Paintings: Acrylic
$6500.00

Medium morning splash 2000

Morning Splash
Paintings: Acrylic
$2700.00

Medium seaside sunset for ah

Seaside Sunset
Paintings: Acrylic
$4800.00

 
Medium texture love for ah

Texture Love
Paintings: Acrylic
$5400.00

Medium geometry in motion 3000

Geometry In Motion
Paintings: Acrylic
$5200.00

Medium so much to explain 1000

So Much To Explain
Paintings: Acrylic
$1700.00

 
Medium waters edge 2000

Water's Edge
Paintings: Acrylic
$1500.00

Medium layered gold 1000

Layered Gold
Paintings: Acrylic
$6500.00

Medium landscape prism 1000

Landscape Prism
Paintings: Acrylic
$5900.00

 
Medium cool motion 2000

Cool Motion
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

Medium ocean envy 1000

Ocean Envy
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

Medium softer thoughts 1000

Softer Thoughts
Paintings: Acrylic
$1500.00

 
Medium cooling trend 2000

Cooling Trend
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

Medium fan dance 1000

Fan Dance
Paintings: Acrylic
$7900.00

Medium warming 1000

Warming
Paintings: Acrylic
$3600.00

 
Medium fissure for ah

Fissure
Paintings: Acrylic
$3600.00

Medium golden islands 2000

Golden Islands
Paintings: Acrylic
$5200.00

Medium splash and splatter for ah

Splash and Splatter
Paintings: Acrylic
$4800.00