NANCY SIMONDS

One of Boston’s most innovative abstractionists, Simonds' dynamic works on paper have been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout New England and the US, most recently at the Portland Art Gallery, Portland, ME; and Canyon Ranch, Lenox, MA; as well as galleries in Nantucket, Palm Springs, CA; and Boulder, CO.  Her press clippings include the 2016 article in Art New England: Nancy Simonds: Shape Shifting and Radiant Chroma by David Raymond.  Works by Nancy Simonds have been acquired and commissioned by many corporations, hotels and institutions, such as the Boston Public Library; Dana Barber Hospital, Boston; Federal Reserve Bank, Boston; and Starwood Hotels.   

Artist’s Statement:

I make large-scale abstract gouache paintings on paper and panel.  Different arrangements of ovals and colors create a feeling of transcendent order. These images are anti-chaos. All strive for a connection to a moment for reflection resolution and calm. My works have luxuriant protean color and are infused with sublime soft texture.  In painting each piece there is an experience of exhilaration and renewal. In each painting I stack and pile simple shapes, placing then sizing and creating visual relationships that build to larger rhythms. The shape is drawn and carved out by the edge of the brush. My paintings work like Japanese haiku; the image is paired down to its essentials and it becomes a complete world of its own. 

I use gouache paint on Reeves printmaking paper; I blot and dab myriad hues to create complex and delicate surfaces. It is the thrill of potential in each new piece that keeps me exploring in the studio. Also, I use acrylics on sintra panels.  I used this medium to create a 5000 square foot exterior Public Art Installation, Beacon of Color, commissioned by the City of Cambridge, MA  to “add visual vibrancy to (a) busy (urban) area….for all those who live and work in the neighborhood.”