April Gallery 2011 Artist Wants to Leave Legacy

Nancy Cary took her first official art class when she was in her 50s, after she'd moved to Aberdeen, Wash., and met instructor Erik Sandgren at Grays Harbor College.

But she picked up her first brush long before then. As a single mother raising three children, Nancy Cary couldn't afford professional art training, but she did have a library card and a television.

Her 'training' then, came in the form of books available at her local library and from following three art instructors who at one time had programs that aired on PBS: Bill Alexander, Tom Lynch and Helen Van Wyk.

Even her day job at the time, working in photo finishing, helped train her artist's eye. She was able to recognize good photography after a while, looking at frames, size and composition with the disciminating eye of an artist rather than that of a photo lab technician, she said.

She essentially trained herself, and it was good enough to help get her started in her passion for art, though her work with Sandgren since then has helped her to refine her talents and vision.

Cary's life has taken her from her home state of Illinois to Arizona and to various cities around Washington state before she settled in Enumclaw, thanks to her son and her newest grandchild.

She'd wanted her new granddaughter to know her and made the decision to come out here after she was born. Now about 4, they spend time painting together. "She's quite knowledgeable and quite good," Cary said.

Otherwise, Cary can often be found painting the various scenescapes she encounters here on the Plateau. She has a particulary affinity for the architecture in this area, stretching from Enumclaw to South Prairie, from Cumberland to Wilkeson. 

The appreciation for old buildings probably came from her growing up surrounding by old buildings in Roslyn, Wash., she said.

"My goal is to challenge myself as well as create a pictoral record of this area," she said.

Currently, Cary is working on a painting of the old Enumclaw National Bank building on Cole Street and Griffin Avenue, where is currently located. 

Lighting and composition have been difficult, she said, because of the lack of sunlight this time of year as well as how busy that section of town gets each day. 

"I try not to replicate photographs," she said. "But I will take photos of that building, I think, because of the traffic."

Similarly, the unique lighting and color of the Pacific Northwest was something she needed to get accustomed to after spending years painting plein air (on the spot) in the arid and sunny landscapes of Arizona. "I had to learn to paint in this state. The light and dark is challenging."

To keep her skills fresh, Cary will paint still life in the winters when the weather keeps her indoors, she said.

For her Gallery 2011 exhibit at City Hall in April, Cary has prepared 22 pieces -- four of which she's already donated to various city entities including the and the .

All will be 8x10s priced anywhere from $149 to $165.

The subjects will be landscapes and archtecture. "I hope people will feel an emotion and appreciation for the area they live in and for the history of this little spot on earth," she said. "They might end up seeing things they never saw before."

Cary names artists like Van Gogh, Basquiat, Rockwell and Picasso as her influences -- she finds inspiration both in their artistic styles as well as in their life stories and struggles in becoming recognized as great artists.

Like them, "I want my work to hang in museums for everyone to see," she said. "I feel blessed that certain things have happened in my life that bolstered me in going down the right path. I probably won't make money off my artwork but it's an investment for my kids and grandkids."

Cary's work goes on display Wednesday, April 6 until Tuesday, May 3.

Click here to read her profile on Arts Alive. 

City Hall Entryway Display Case

Ed Konvalin’s pottery will be presented in the entryway display case at City Hall from  April 6, to May 31, 2011, according to a city press release.

Ed reports, “Art has been a predominate influence throughout my education and I've spent 30 years pursuing various interests in arts and crafts. In 2000, I rediscovered a passion for creating handcrafted functional pottery. As this interest blossomed into a serious endeavor, I established a small home studio in western Washington. Working out of my studio, I create high-quality, handcrafted stoneware pottery, with the goal of providing attractive and functional items for people to use and enjoy in their everyday lives. I draw my inspiration from the diverse colors and textures that abound in the Pacific Northwest. As a creator of functional pottery, I find the greatest satisfaction in people’s enjoyment and use of each created object. The pottery I've created has been shown at various venues throughout Washington’s Puget Sound and California’s San Francisco Bay areas.To refine my skills and increase my awareness of the design of handcrafted, functional pottery, I’ve participated in workshops by nationally recognized professional potters, including Steven Hill, Matt Long, Mark Shapiro, Josh DeWeese, and Sequoia Miller."

Gallery 2011 is located in the council chambers at Enumclaw city hall. Hours for the exhibition space are 8 a. m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. City hall is closed on national holidays. The gallery is closed to the public on Tuesday of each week for municipal court proceedings.