Art is a way to express oneself, and there are various forms of how one might do so. There’s music, dance, photography, painting, etc. Our featured artist of the month dabbles in the latter two. Heather Nagy says every painting has a story, but so does every artist. Let’s hear hers.
Heather Nagy grew up in Michigan and reminisces about her time spent there. “I remember summers spent going camping to different spots around the state with my family. I’ve always loved art. In high school, my walls were covered with my work, and I loved trying different mediums. I was drawn to impressionists like Degas, Monet, and Van Gogh, but I also loved Michelangelo and was in awe of the scale at which he painted and how he could make cold marble look alive.”
While working, Nagy would find a way to incorporate time to draw or paint to further her passion and creativity. “I’d bring my oil pastels along with me on babysitting jobs, drawing animals. And for a short time while working at McDonald’s, I was commissioned to make portraits of the employee of the month.”
Nagy graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts in Graphic Design from Western Michigan University in 1998 and moved from Michigan to Orlando in 2000 to follow two things she loved: creating art and designing, and her faith. “I loved creating art and designing, and my understanding and love for Jesus grew in college. I spent a summer in Orlando in 1995 as an intern for Cru. I loved that it combined my skills as a designer and that I was able to help share the hope we have in Christ with others. Upon graduation, I spent a year in Asia and then moved to Orlando in 2000 to work with Cru as a graphic designer.”
In Orlando, Nagy eventually met her husband, David, and they’ve been married for 15 years and have two children. The family moved to the Lake Nona area 10 years ago.
What drove you to become an artist?
“My artwork aims to reflect my deep belief that we are all created in the image of a creative God. The Bible says we are made in God’s image, meaning we share attributes of God such as being relational, intelligent, creative and loving. It’s in our nature to create.”
How long have you been an artist?
“I’ve loved being creative for as long as I could remember. I watched Bob Ross paint happy little trees, got his oil set and tried it myself as a kid. In high school, I soaked up my art classes, drawing portraits of myself, my friends and celebrity crushes. In college, my focus was design, but I also was required to take a number of fine art courses like drawing, printmaking, photography, painting and sculpture. For the past 17 years, I’ve worked full-time and then part-time as a graphic designer for Cru. During that time, I’ve continued to make art for myself. Oil pastel landscapes of the Southwest, mixed media pieces that were more conceptual, and some portraits. Then, this past year, I’ve been painting more intentionally and regularly with acrylics.”
How often do you find yourself creating art?
“The amount of time I’ve spent creating art has varied over the years as life circumstances saw changing capacity of margin. However, this January, I transitioned from my job to create art full-time. Last year, I completed close to 50 pieces working at it part-time. This year, I hope to create at least one painting a week.”
Which of your artwork would you consider your favorites? (Pick a top three)
“One favorite is Lake Eola Grand Finale. I did a series of 15 paintings all centered around the Lake Eola area downtown. It was an exercise in finding beauty in the familiar. This really did feel like a finale to the series. The scope was bigger – more buildings, bigger canvas, and it captures the heart of The City Beautiful.
“Second would be Observation Point, Zion. I love the southwest United States, and I’m inspired by the mountains, canyons, rock formations and the grand vistas of the area. Our family has vacationed in the area several times. This summer, I was thrilled to return to Zion National Park. I’d been reading about hikes to take and wanted to complete one to Observation Point, but it seemed impossible. (Long hike, extreme heat, kids, having to take a shuttle bus, carrying food and water… .) However, with some online research and help from a few locals, we found an alternate route that was much easier and were able to do it. Standing at the lookout was breathtaking!
“My third favorite would be Shalom. This is part of the Lake Eola Series. I ended work on this as Hurricane Irma was blowing through Orlando. We did all our prep and then waited, wondering if the eye would go over us and how much damage would result. My natural tendency is to worry, to wish that everything was as calm as this painting. However, I think God is teaching me that peace (shalom) is possible even as the storm rages around us.”
Which of your projects was the most time-consuming/challenging and why?
“The most time-consuming piece I did is called Canyonlands Triptych, which took several weeks working part-time. It’s the largest piece I’ve ever done – three canvases each 30×40 inches put together. It was also a challenge because I was using several photographs I took and combining them, so I had more decisions I needed to make. It was my jumping in with both feet painting as I hadn’t painted very much in acrylics, so that was a learning curve as well. I was learning how to manage blending and how to work without the paint drying out. I was also determining what style, how much detail to have, and how vibrant I wanted to go with my colors. And it was a challenge being three paintings, wanting each one to be interesting, but they needed to match up as well. As I’ve painted more, I find that my cityscapes take longer than pure landscapes without the marks of man. Landscapes are more forgiving.”
What are some of your dream projects?
“[I have] lots of dreams. I work from photographs, and to get the composition and angles I want as well as to avoid any copyright conflicts, I take my own photos. I would love to travel internationally to Italy, France, Budapest and a number of other places to take photos.
I love our national parks, and some of the parks have an artist-in-residence program. I would love to be an artist in residence at one of the parks a few years down the road. To have a month in a park to explore, off-season, leisurely getting painting subject material sounds ideal.”
What serves as your inspiration on a day-to-day basis?
“I can get lost in Pinterest, looking at what different artists around the country and world are doing. I enjoy seeing what different artists are doing through local venues and art fairs. I follow different artists through Facebook as well; it’s educational and motivating to see what they are doing art-wise and how they are marketing their work. It guides me to keep creating, sharing and searching for opportunities, local, online and elsewhere.
“I have hundreds of photos that I’ve taken this past year that are just waiting to be painted. I will look up paintings that have similar subject matter to mine and see how they handled the composition, details, color. I found this past year that I no longer lack for inspiration, instead it’s carving out the time to paint. I’ve got dozens of ideas waiting to find their way on canvas.”
Which artists would you say you share a vision with?
“One artist that has been a big inspiration is Erin Hanson. She is a contemporary painter who paints vibrant, expressive landscapes. I love her compositions and use of color. She has a lot of work featuring the Southwest, and I love studying how she handles the subject matter, keeping it fresh. I was able to see some of her work in person that was displayed at Zion National Park.
“Another artist I found through a Pinterest search is Rene Wiley. She is based out of Galveston, TX, a seaside town. I love her expressiveness, and how she thrives in finding beauty where she is that goes beyond palm trees and the ocean.”
What style/form of art is your favorite to create?
“I’ve worked with oil pastels, mixed media, encaustic, watercolor, oil and acrylics. Currently, I’m enjoying working in acrylics. I appreciate that they dry quickly, and I can achieve fine detail when wanted and a more expressive interpretation as well. As far as subject matter, I’m enjoying landscapes and cityscapes. It’s been a challenge to find new ways of showing the familiar, with pieces that show local scenes.”
Future goals/plans?
“I’ve been creating art for years and occasionally getting to show in local venues. Recently, I’ve transitioned from my job to pursue being an artist full-time. So, in some ways I’m just launching out, attempting to sell my work. I want to not just make work but hopefully create pieces that bring people hope and joy. I hope my work encourages people and helps people tap into the longings they have that are ultimately fulfilled in a loving, good, relational Creator.
Right now, I’m actively painting and seeking places to show and sell my work. As with any artist, I want to be able to make a living producing work that connects with people. I have pieces up in a few local venues, and I’m looking for more places. I will have a solo show at the Mayor’s Gallery in City Hall from April through August (it’s open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Since I was a child, I’ve dreamed of having solo shows, selling work and having my work hang in museums.”
Those interested can read about the individual paintings’ stories and inspiration in Nagy’s blog: HeatherLNagyArt.wordpress.com. You can also visit her Facebook page, where she posts in-progress photos and the day-to-day of being an artist – search for Heather Nagy Art. If you are interested in purchasing any of Nagy’s artwork, prints and some originals can be found at https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/heather-nagy, and you can contact Nagy for details about selling. Her contact information can be found in her blog.
“As we’re faced with the brokenness of our world, man-made and natural disasters, one needs a source of hope. We all want there to be more, a paradise waiting, redemption. We respond to beauty, as it hints at the redemption. Redemption available now, through healed relationships and rebuilding after destruction. Redemption that will be, as promised that God will in the end make all things right. I believe that’s why we are touched by beauty, whether it be a smile, a piece of music, or a painting. Beauty is a source of hope. It takes us beyond the grind of the day-to-day, to appreciate life and persevere through hard times. Beauty brings out God-given longings for peace, joy, and significance that’s planted in our hearts. We were made for more than just surviving. Painting allows me to slow down and reflectively ponder the beauty around me. I seek to reflect that beauty, that hope through the paintings I create.”
NOMINATE AN ARTIST
We are looking for interesting artists who live in the Nonahood to be featured. If you or someone you know should be nominated to be a Nonahood News Featured Artist, send your nomination to nonahood.to/artist.
