ARTIST STATEMENT: Nancy Alimansky

Artists often are drawn to subjects that have a strong emotional appeal. For me it is the New England coast, where I spent many summers as a child. I always feel at peace when I am painting in that environment. I look to capture the essence of a place and convey the emotion I feel with the viewer. My preference is to work outside “en plein air” rather than in the studio. Being on location helps me to maintain a spontaneous approach to the painting.

I work primarily in watercolor. I am attracted by the subtleties, clarity and freshness that characterize a successful watercolor. Because watercolor can be an unforgiving medium I find it challenging and rewarding. There is also the element of surprise: the “happy accidents” that occur when the paint doesn’t quite behave as you expect.

Although I am a representational painter I’m not interested in merely recreating a landscape or street scene. Because I work so much outside, light is particularly important to me. I am inspired when I see how light and shadow interact. I am fascinated by shapes like those that buildings create against the sky or in relationship to each other. I often choose to paint a scene that contains all these elements.

Paintings of jazz musicians either in a club scene or concert setting are also important subjects for me. I was the founder and director of Highland Jazz in Newton, MA. During my 20-year tenure I presented more than 175 jazz concerts. One of my jazz paintings was selected as the cover piece for "People in the Arts in Newton", published by the Newton Library in 1995.

In the past eighteen years I have exhibited in more than 100 juried exhibitions and received numerous awards. I am especially proud of the Gold Medal I received for Best in Watermedia at the 60th annual exhibition of Audubon Artists in New York . The editor of American Artist magazine saw this national show and interviewed me for a feature article in their October 2003 issue.

Awards and Honors

Traveling Show, Adirondack National Exhibition, 2006
Honorable Mention, New England Watercolor Society Annual Members Show, 2004
Signature Artist, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, 2003
Gold Medal, Audubon Artists Annual Exhibition, 2002
C. Harris Memorial Award , Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Annual Members Show, 2001
Signature Artist, New England Watercolor Society, 2000
John Singer Sargent Award, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, National Competition, 2000
Copley Artist, Copley Society, 1997

Selected Solo Exhibits

Massachusetts Bay Community College, Wellesley, MA , 2005
Wellesley Public Library, Wellesley, MA, 2004
Dover Public Library, Dover, MA, 2004
Marran Gallery, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA , 2003
Greenville Library, Greenville, RI, 2003
Harvard Vanguard Health Plan, Wellesley, MA, 2002
Rockport Art Association, Rockport, MA, 2001

Selected Juried, Group Exhibits

Rhode Island Watercolor Society, “Blended Colors”, Pawtucket, RI, 2007
New England Watercolor Society, Masters of Watercolors, New Bedford Art Museum, 2006
Arts Guild of Old Forge, Adirondack National Exhibition, Old Forge, NY, 2006
Audubon Artists Annual Exhibition, New York, NY 2005
Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Annual National Competition, Pawtucket, RI , 2005
North Shore Arts Association, Exhibition 3, Gloucester, MA, 2005
Rockport Art Association Summer Show, Rockport, MA, 2005
New England Watercolor Society, Annual Members Show, Boston, MA, 2004
Copley Society, Copley Artist Show, Boston, MA, 2004
Cambridge Art Association, “Interiors/Exteriors”, Cambridge, MA, April 2003
American Watercolor Society, International Exhibition, New York, NY, 2003

Reviews and Publications

Stephen Doherty, “Landscapes and All the Jazz”, American Artist Magazine, October 2003
Rhode Island Watercolor Society, 2006 Calendar
New England Artists, 2004 Calendar, Brooks Pharmacy Publishers
The Best of Watercolor, volume 3, Rockport Publishers, Inc., 1999

Membership

Copley Artist, Copley Society, Boston, MA
Artist Member, Audubon Artists, New York, NY
Artist Member, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA
Artist Member, New England Watercolor Society
Artist Member, North Shore Arts Association, Vice President, 2001-2003, Gloucester, MA
Artist Member, Rhode Island Watercolor Society, Pawtucket, RI
Artist Member, Rockport Art Association, Rockport, MA
Associate Member, American Watercolor Society, New York, NY