Nancy Leigh Hillis Home About the Artist Contact the Artist Artwork Portfolio

Portfolio of Works

Mixed Media

Mixed Media

This recent body of work is an exploration of relationships. I am interested in the relationship to self, as well as the relationship of self to other. Children and animals appeared frequently in this work, carrying the quality of unmediated, pure creative expression, playfulness, and creativity. The investigation of the ways in which children and animals connect us profoundly with nature and timelessness  is an ongoing theme in my work and life.

Abstract Figurative

Abstract Figurative

These figurative abstractions are an investigation into the existential concerns of being human; of how a person grapples with fragility, aging, deterioration, and mortality and yet creates a life of meaning, connection, and aliveness. I am interested in how solitude cultivates a deeper consciousness of what is meaningful and authentic for ones' self, as well as awareness of our basic interconnectedness.
As an existential psychiatrist for twenty years, these paintings reflect the myriad  investigations into the unknown and into what it means to be human that I've been privileged to share with others.

Oil Landscapes

Oil Landscapes

In this body of en plein air painting, I explore the California landscape and the experience of being in nature. Recently, I've been investigating "big sky" compositions, as well as stormy, dramatic conditions. I particularly enjoy alla prima painting (all at once/in one sitting), as well as employing thick, juicy, impasto strokes contrasted with thin, translucent washes. I am experimenting with various color harmonies and warm/cool color vibrations.

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