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 seventeen years I have exhibited in
more that 100 juried exhibitions and received
numerous awards. My work was included
in the 136th annual International Exhibition
of the Watercolor Society in New York. I
have also had numerous solo exhibits in Massachusetts
and in Rhode Island.