Artist Highlight: Nancy Young Spence

Hometown:

Columbia, IL

Preferred Mediums:

I love to work with clay but also enjoy mixed media.

How many years have you participated in the Art on the Bluffs, Inc. Art Walk?

This will be my 3rd year.

Where did you go to school, earn a degree, or formally study art?

I received my BS in art ed at EIU and my masters in art therapy at SIUE.

What is your art about & what inspires your work?

I try to tell a story or show an emotion. My primary themes are nature related or the human form.

What is your creative process like?

I am what may be called an intuitive artist. While I may have an idea of what I want to create, by manipulating and “playing” with the clay forms, and following the outcomes that may occur, I will finally achieve the creative form that feels “just right.” I want the view to look at each of my sculptures and vessels and not only see but also feel its energy and spirit.

How or when in your life did you know where an artist?

I think I was born with a need to create images. My mother said that as soon as I could walk and hold a crayon, I would try to draw on every blank surface I could find (obviously not always appreciated).

Where can your work be viewed?

I have been at exhibits at Art St Louis, Gateway Gallery, The Galleries at Sole Survivor, Craft Alliance, Venus Envy, Art Coop, Art on the Bluffs, as well as selling my work at the Maeystown Octoberfest and other shops in the metro east area.

What shows have you displayed in?

This Sept. 24-25 I will have a tent at the STRANGE FOLK art festival in O’Fallon, Ill.

What do you most enjoy about the art scene in St. Louis/Metro East?

From Maplewood, Washington Ave, Webster Groves To St. Charles and Edwardsville and beyond there is an abundance of wonderful multimedia art throughout our area. I hope that others will enjoy my art as much as I enjoy making it.