2010
“Somewhere in Time” Pastels by Nancy Reed Jones
Ellenville’s Gallery Link welcomes artist Nancy Reed Jones of the Wallkill River School, for an exhibition of her paintings called “Somewhere in Time” throughout the month of November. This is Nancy’s first exhibit in Ellenville, and people are sure to enjoy her landscapes, which convey both a sense of vitality and peace.
Coming to the realization that she had a natural talent for painting did not come easy for Nancy Reed-Jones. It was after personal tragedy and depression that her first paintings emerged “I had never taken any painting lessons nor did I know the art of color mixing very well.” The first painting was of a serene seascape with the sun coming through the clouds (symbolizing the storm of life) and illuminating the water and beach as if to say, “The worst is over”.
Inspired by this discovery, Nancy took her new found talent to the hospital where her mother and sister worked as nurses. She wanted to use her art to help the patients somehow. In 1993, in South Nassau Communities Hospital on Long Island she did her first mural for cancer patients. “I was allowed to paint directly on the walls in their rooms so they could see the scenes from their beds.” Later the murals were used for “guided imagery” to help alleviate some of the pain the patients were having.
After being featured on the Long Island television news station channel 12 and in the Long Island Newspaper Newsday, people began calling for Nancy’s mural work. She studied briefly at the Huntington Art League and took a drawing class to improve and expand her skills. She worked for many years on Long Island as a muralist both in hospitals and in private homes. “One of my most beautiful murals was the one I did in the Vanderbilt Estate in Oakdale, Long Island”.
Nancy also used her painting skills in her profession as an addiction counselor. “I taught people in recovery how to reduce the stress they were going through, by painting tranquil landscapes put to relaxation music.” She has been using this technique ever since in her classes.
Five years ago Nancy moved to the Hudson Valley, where she was immediately enchanted by the beauty of the Hudson Valley Region. She has since joined the Wallkill River school where she “can finally feel like a true artist because I am surrounded by some of the best talent in our area, from whom I am always learning”.
She loves plein air, or outdoor, painting the best .. “I had never before experienced anything that gave me such joy as painting out in nature in such a beautiful area”. She always envied the way the artists of the Hudson River School were able to make the landscape glow. Since joining the Wallkill River School, she has begun to develop her own way of recording the landscape.
Nancy now teaches classes at the Wallkill River School and in her home studio. She has sold many of her paintings both on Long Island and here in the Hudson Valley. By painting with the talented artists of the Wallkill School she has developed her own style into what she feels is a beautiful rendition of what she has always loved about the Hudson River School. “Somewhere in Time” will be on exhibit at The Gallery Link from November 3 through December 1, 2010. The Gallery Link is located at Ellenville Public Library & Museum, 40 Center Street, Ellenville, NY (Rte 52W off Rte 209), and is open during regular library hours. Please call (845)647-5530 for more information. To learn More about Nance Reed Jones, view her work and find out about upcoming workshops, go to: www.nancyreedjones.com
