"Nancy's art captures the atmosphere, people and places of Northern California. She has a knack for illustrating the forgotten places. Her images convey the quiet and hidden California that only locals know." - Ron Liskey, Explorer


NANCY HUTCHINS Print E-mail

One of the times I feel most enlivened is when I am outside, being immersed in the landscapes which surround us. My soul is fed when I traverse out into the wilds with my cherished painting partners. We help each other leave behind the dirty dishes, the “To Do” lists, the ordinary day-to-day workings, to enter instead into a different reality - one that is essential to who we are.

It is always such a challenge to hone in on the scene before me, with all of its majesty, and choose a particular area that inspires me. We live in an area of remarkable beauty – from the calming creeks and river gurgling by, the vibrant sunsets, the colorful apple orchards and vineyards, the rolling oak-studded hills, the turbulent ocean waves… In each of these settings I am always chasing the elusive light.

I am grateful to be able to be a “plein air” painter – learning directly from nature – exploring, investigating, interpreting, and painting on location. Aaaah, to slow down and closely observe what is truly right in front of me. As the poet, Theodore Roethke, said: “Art is the means of undoing the damage of haste. It is what everything else isn’t.”

It is an honor and a privilege to share these images with you, to bring you along on various outings I have taken.

Thank you for being here.