Since the early 1990’s, her work has always included the experimentation of materials. Whether it is fused glass, print making, textiles, metals or traditional painting methods, Nancy loves to explore new techniques and processes.Because she has worked in so many different mediums, she discovered that some of the materials made especially for artists are very similar to the materials thrown away or tossed in the recycle bin.

Nancy looks at all aspects of nature and feels very connected to the earth. Trash is something that really bothers her and after feeling very frustrated by the amount of packaging in her recycle bin one day, she started cleaning and sorting like materials. She didn’t know what shewas going to do with all the trash that was collecting. Nancy just knew that she had to do something. She realized that collecting the trash was not going to make a great impact in helping our environment, but it was a place to start.

Everyone kept asking her, “why are you collecting all this stuff?” and telling her, “a lot of this can just be recycled; it’s not our responsibility.” “I am not always sure where I am going with a project”, she told them “I just know I have to do it”. So, Nancy continued to fill container after container with sorted bottle caps, plastic tops, plastic pieces, etc. She just knew that she I couldn’t add any more to our already threaten environment. However small, it was her way of doing something.
 

Soon, the trash in clear containers was starting to make her kitchen look like a candy shop. Only unfortunately, it was junk, not candy. All the colors and shapes packaged-up kept calling out to her. She kept experimenting and rethinking every container shetouched. After much experimentation, the bits and pieces intuitively led from the kitchen to her current body of work called: “Lessons from the Dinner Table.”
 

The pieces in the collection are all about the simple lessons learned and discussed around the dinner table and how it transcends into the basic foundation of how to treat each other, our community and our environment. For example: one piece titled, “Invite Peace to the Table” explores the importance of having peace present during opposition in order to grow and to create change.
 

All of the pieces in this collection are made from 95% reclaimed materials. The base of each piece starts with old broken coat hangers that are wrapped with thin strips of aluminum cut from soda cans. Plastic bags are fused together to create the main base for the background structure. The rest of her work is treated like a weaving. Using wire, she weaves a pattern and then use the structure to attach bottle caps and tabs, bit and pieces of plastic packaging, aluminum foil containers, and found objects that are finally carved, painted and manipulated.
 

The ideas and inspiration for Nancy'spaintings all come from the people who surround her. Her studio is attached to the kitchen in the center of her home where children and laughter can and happily run through.
 

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