I choose objects for my still life that appear to have had a life of their own, asking the viewer to wonder how they have found their way to become one of my paintings. My stories are from a moment in time, a little curious and vaguely familiar.
Nancy Calder is a Stratford based award winning contemporary realist artist who focuses primarily on still life painting.
Nancy was born and raised in Toronto and relocated to Stratford Ontario in 2017. Although her journey didn’t begin until later in life when time and finances allowed, it was more than rewarding. Her education started with graphite, moving into carbon, charcoal and finally oil paint. Initially Nancy enrolled into the Academy of Realist Art, Toronto to pursue her love of the human figure, but as she progressed through the program, she became very fond of painting still life. In the fall of 2013, she earned her diploma. During the first two years following her graduation, Nancy became the first female student instructor at the Academy. Late in 2015 she left her teaching position to devote her energy to become a fulltime artist.
Artist Statement:
“I have always been drawn to realism, to create a sense of life and living from a blank canvas or piece of paper. I find the concept of realism, absolutely fascinating. I am always surprised and amused by the degree of dimension that can be achieved, a feeling that one can almost reach into a painting and touch the objects in a still life, or catch the eye of the of the subject in a portrait. I love both the intensity and vibrancy of the oil paints, yet it can also be such a subtle medium. I choose objects for my still life that appear to have had a life of their own, asking the viewer to wonder how they have found their way to become one of my paintings. My stories are from a moment in time, a little curious and vaguely familiar.”