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Nancy Jo Graham, Artist

Ranked #10,784 in Arts & Design, #196,094 overall | Donates to Inner-City Scholarship Fund

The Artist!

Welcome! I am a practicing artist and a teacher with a Master's degree in drawing & painting. Included here is a look at some of the art which I create. It is my hope that this work will move you, inspire you or communicate with you in some positive way. Most of my work is influenced by a love of nature and my work as a floral designer. I hope you enjoy.

I thrive on being creative in many ways and will be posting some new work soon. Check back!

What I Do

The words on the painting say it well.

Colored Pencil Drawings

Until recently, most of my work has been done in color pencil. I have been working in this medium for over 35 years. Here is one of my color pencil pieces with a bit of paint added. It is done on paper and measures 30" X 20".

Closer

Here is a close-up view of a section of the drawing above. The flowers in this vase were inspired by roses, heliotrope and pepperberry, with a few imagined things thrown in.

Closer still

Here is an even closer view.

Many people have said that my work does not look like color pencil, but rather watercolor or soft pastels. This is because I like to use paper with very little tooth, in other words: extremely smooth paper. In fact, quite often I will use a soft paper intended for printmaking. I prefer pencils with a harder lead that sharpens to a fine point. I fill in the color meticulously in several layers and then rub it in with my fingers or a blending tool. All of this leads to a finished drawing which doesn't always show the actual mark of the pencil.

Detail

Here is a close-up of the spiral on the left side of the piece. It is made up of stylized tulips, calla lilies, peonies, roses and berries.

What I Love About Drawing

I love to draw. It is the immediacy of it that I treasure so much. When I am working, my fingers are so close to the tip of the tools which are making the mark on the paper that I feel completely immersed. Wouldn't you love to be drawn into and consumed like this by something you are creating?

We all have our own talents that can be expressed and shared with others. I feel we are happier if we are able to do work which encourages us to use our own unique skills, whatever they may be.

Stylized Floral Piece

Here is another one of the more delicate, all-pencil pieces.

Detail

One of the Last of the Delicate Flower Pieces

Here is one of my last drawings in the flower series while I was still using only color pencil.

Oil Pastel

For the last 35 years, my color pencil work has been very subtle in it's color and line, but here is an early anomaly: a very dynamic piece that spilled out of me in the early 1990's right in the middle of all the delicate line work.

It seems I am now returning to that brighter, more intense palette and a bolder technique. Is my mood changing, or am I changing my mood by being bolder with my art? The next few pieces will show you what I mean. They are my latest works.

Oil Pastel and Paint on Wood

Donated to a benefit sale.

Imagine

This was created for a company's product demo.

Some Things That Inspire Me

My Favorite Inspirations
Here is a link to another page where I share some of the things I have found to be inspirational, including cities, books and other artists.

One of My Favorite Pastimes of Late

Drawing with Sketchbook Pro on my iPad

Love the Sketchbook Pro for iPad

It's a bit like advanced finger-painting

Floral Influences

I have been, and still am, heavily influenced by my work as a floral designer. In floral design, flowers and plant materials which would not normally be seen next to each other in nature are able to be combined and manuevered to enhance and draw attention to their individual qualities. The close juxtapositon of so many different colors, textures and shapes of flowers never fails to fascinate me.

My Floral Art

Floral Art: Flowers & Vegetables

Floral Design

Here are links to some other pages where I have written about flowers and floral design. Click on these to read and learn more.
Wedding Flowers
An experienced wedding flower consultant, I offer 'insider' suggestions for choosing your flowers and working with a professional florist. Ordering wedding flowers is not something one does frequently and even a little bit of knowledge and prep work can make the experience so much more successful an
A Floral Design Career
For many years I worked in a flower shop where our customers were able to walk through the design room as we were working. It was exciting for them to see what we were doing and we frequently heard comments like, 'That must be so much fun.' 'You are so lucky to be doing this work.' 'It must be so re
Expert Tips For Ordering Flowers
Are you getting ready to order some flowers? Over 10 years of experience as a high-end floral designer has helped me to put these suggestions together for you. Read on for some tips to make sure you receive high-quality, beautiful flowers every time you order.The arrangement shown here was designed
Everything Flowery
I am always looking for unique and interesting flower-themed items. As a floral designer, you might think I would tire of it, but when I travel I am always checking out other flower shops for ideas. If I am in a large city--Montreal is one of my favorites--I visit the fancy hotels to see the flower

Sometimes I Use Sketchbook to Help Myself Plan

Take a Look at My Portfolio Book

Follow this link to preview a book I made as a portfolio for myself. I used a site called "Blurb", which enables you to format and lay out your own book, download your photos and write whatever you wish. A few days later it all arrives in the form of a soft or hard-cover book. Really cool.
Nancy Jo Graham, a portfolio
Nancy Jo Graham at Blurb.com

More Fun With Sketchbook Pro

Teaching Experience

In addition to classes which I conduct on my own, these are some of the places where I have had the pleasure of teaching.
Chester College of New England, New Hampshire
This privately-funded visual and language arts school offers Bachelor's degrees in Creative Writing, Professional Writing, Graphic Design, Photography and Media Arts, Fine Art, and Interdisciplinary Arts. Chester College is a very small, close-knit community with a low student to teacher ratio, making it a great place to explore and learn as well as teach. My focus here has been on teaching drawing classes, including figure studies.
Maude Kerns Art Center, Oregon
A community art facility, Maude Kerns Art Center was created many years ago by a group of practicing artists. Today the center offers classes for adults and children, studio space for artists and a gallery which presents exhibits of the work of regional and national artists. It was my pleasure to help organize a summer art program for young people and to teach classes, including one very special class on animal drawing and painting, featuring live animals visits.
Community Education Program, Eugene, Oregon
In one of the most art-friendly and community-oriented cities in the US, I had a great time teaching various art classes in the children's community recreation program.
Masonic Pathways, Michigan
At this large, well-funded and caring retirement facility, I had the pleasure of working with seniors in the occupational therapy program where I worked with them in ceramics, weaving, drawing and painting and writing.
Central Michigan University
At this large, state-affiliated university I taught Introductory Art and Introductory Drawing. I am so proud to know that my paternal grandfather graduated from this school with a degree in education and ended up teaching in a one-room school house in northern Michigan.

Yep! Create, Create, Create.

More About My Art Work

All of these are clickable links to a few other pages with photos and information about my art work.
Nancy Graham, Artist
A sweet, little one-page summary of my work.
2008 Auction Donation Piece
Click here for a look at a piece of furniture I was invited to paint for a 2008 benefit auction for the Caregivers of Manchester and Nashua, New Hampshire.
Quick-Look Online Gallery
Here you will find a few drawings as well as floral arrangements.
2009 Auction Piece: "The Little Paris Apartment"
This is one of the pieces I created for the 2009 benefit auction for Caregivers. This is a cupboard that I turned into a diorama, of sorts, including a hand-made doll. It was sooooo much fun to make.
"Pause" The Second Benefit Auction piece for 2009
I made a second piece for the same 2009 benefit. This piece is a whimsical chair. It's always interesting to put these together and it's for a great cause.

At Work in My Studio

I made this piece for a charity auction and I missed it after it was gone. It was such fun to create.

My First Doll: I loved making her! 

A Slide Show of My More Delicate Floral Drawings

Here is a good summary of the penciled floral pieces. Just wait for the photos to load and they will change on their own every few seconds. Thanks for looking!
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Though I am still a Northwesterner at heart (I lived in Oregon for 20 years), I now make my home in beautiful, historic, semi-rural New England. Not f... more »

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