As an artist I believe that all people have creativity within them. Some express it in their chosen medium and some express it as appreciation of art from afar. Appreciation can extend to viewing a beautiful sunset or flower. If one has the passion to create art, as I do in my chosen medium of beads, one soon realizes that passionate practice can be pragmatic, fluid, and spontaneous. Being pragmatic is willing to see things as they really are and deal with them sensibly. The more art one makes, the more successful the art becomes. In the great words of Pablo Picasso, “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
As an art instructor I believe that pragmatic techniques can be taught. From the pragmatic comes the fluidity and with that, the ability to ‘see’ a design or inspiration through creation. The more fluent one becomes with the materials and techniques, the more spontaneous and skilled at creating art forms.
With any risky adventure (and art is risky) we wear our hearts on our sleeves. It can be scary but we have to be brave and accept our fears to remain fluid and spontaneous. Let the art be in control.
I have two sides to my art; one is as an artist and the other is as a teacher. I have always loved the art as much as the teaching side. I love to give students a solid, understandable grasp of technique and create a safe, judgment free space to encourage experimentation. My passion lies in technique and finding a new way to use the beads. It's thrilling to find a new variation of an existing technique or material.
I live in Colorado where I have been married over 30 years and have two grown children. This year I was honored with the Excellence in Jewelry Artistry Award from Bead&Button. I have taught four Master Class sessions at Bead&Button shows. One other event that I am very proud of is taking 3rd place in the US Open Judo Competition at the Olympic Training Center in 1984.
To see more of Nancy's incredible bead work visit:
www.nancycain.com
https://www.instagram.com/nancy_cain