Nancy Lilly • Texas • waow
| Pastel | Animals | Nature | Landscapes |
Nancy Lilly
Every work I do is allegorical. Every object in a still life is a symbol. Every landscape is a message about life. My family has been in Texas for more than 150 years, small wonder that the big sky, the vast austere beauty of the American West latches on to me. The self-reliance and integrity required to live in such a remote and challenging land has honed my values. It is no wonder that I return to it time and again. I value endurance and respond intensely to the strong light of the southwest. I look at a clump of cactus and see hope, strength, beauty. My work is about looking farther and looking closer to find the enduring beauty of being true. I am drawn to the implacable revelations of the harsh, glorious, and the remote dry earth of home.
Most of the time I work in pastel. Pastel has a lasting brilliance that oil or acrylic paint do not have. It is a dry medium, less forgiving but more expressive. Only Pastel has the luminescence that can capture a West Texas sky. It does not darken or crack over time, it endures.
Biography
Nancy Lilly was born in 1950 in Norfolk, Virginia. Her father, a West Texas Marine Corps Fighter Pilot by day and an accomplished sculptor on off hours, instilled a passion for art. She grew up surrounded by art history books and was always encouraged to be creative. While having lived in many states and traveled all her life, she considers herself a Texan, with ancestors settling in Texas as early as 1860. Although she always identified herself as an artist, she has only been professionally painting since 2014 after retiring from a career in software. She quickly gained recognition in numerous national and international awards and has achieved Master Circle status with the eminent International Association of Pastel Societies and Master Pastelist status with the prestigious Pastel Society of America.
She is considered an innovative pastel artist, employing techniques advanced by Edgar Degas combined with new approaches that employ modern materials. Her work incorporates dramatic lighting through the application of complex layers of color and texture. She resides in Round Rock, Texas.
Artist Statement
Every work I do is allegorical. Every object in a still life is a symbol. Every landscape is a message about life. My family has been in Texas for more than 150 years, small wonder that the big sky, the vast austere beauty of the American West latches on to me. The self-reliance and integrity required to live in such a remote and challenging land has honed my values. It is no wonder that I return to it time and again. I value endurance and respond intensely to the strong light of the southwest. I look at a clump of cactus and see hope, strength, beauty. My work is about looking farther and looking closer to find the enduring beauty of being true. I am drawn to the implacable revelations of the harsh, glorious, and the remote dry earth of home.
Most of the time I work in pastel. Pastel has a lasting brilliance that oil or acrylic paint do not have. It is a dry medium, less forgiving but more expressive. Only Pastel has the luminescence that can capture a West Texas sky. It does not darken or crack over time, it endures.
Selected Artwork
