Nancy Wardle
Biography
Nancy Wardle is a full time artist living in Niagara on the Lake, ON working in acrylic and oils. She has always been creative and interested in art with her greatest influence being her mother who was an artist. It wasn’t until she was retired that she started taking workshops in both Canada and the US from highly acclaimed and talented artists whose expertise have helped her find her current path. Nancy is currently exploring portraiture and figurative work that is expressive and rich with colours in a loose impressionistic style.
Member
Niagara on the Lake Arts Collective
Federation of Canadian Artists
Federation of Canadian Artists Toronto Chapter
Portrait Society of Canada
SOLO Exhibition
2023 Joyner Gallery - “FACE IT” - 60 Portraits juried exhibit, Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre
Gallery and Exhibitions
Joyner Gallery: NOTL Arts Collective Group show, Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, NOTL
Chateau Des Charmes: NOTL Arts Collective Group show, Chateau Des Charmes Winery, NOTL
Ronald Boaks Fine Art Gallery: NOTL Arts Collective Show (3 day event each June), NOTL
Summer and Grace Gallery: “JOY” show, Oakville
Etobicoke Civic Centre Art Gallery: “Perspectives” Federation of Cdn Artists Toronto Chapter
Pazam Gallery: “Spring Kaleidoscope” Federation of Cdn Artists Toronto Chapter, Port Credit
Niagara on the Lake Museum: “Strike a Pose” Portraiture exhibit, NOTL
Craig’s Cookies: Ongoing solo exhibit
2022 Online Federation Showcase - Federation of Canadian Artists
2023 Online Federation Showcase - Federation of Canadian Artists
Awards
2024 Certificate of Achievement - Portrait Society of Canada
2022 NOTL Hydro - Awarded prize for “Fire At Will”. Work is wrapped on hydro box in Niagara on the Lake. Location: Ricardo Street on Fort George Property. Hydro Box Beautification Project
2022 Joy Show - Summer and Grace Gallery - selected as 1 of 50 of Canada’s top artists
Media
2023 Island Arts Magazine - Face It Exhibit
https://islandartsmag.ca/cmsb/uploads/iam-sept-2023_001.pdf
NOTL Local news - Face It Exhibit
https://www.notllocal.com/local-news/see-faces-as-artist-nancy-wardle-sees-them-7398676
Niagara Now - NOTL Arts Collective show at Chateau Des Charmes
https://niagaranow.com/arts.phtml/notl-arts-collective-hosts-latest-exhibit-at-chateau-des-charmes-winery/
2022 Niagara Now - Hydro Box Beautification Project
https://niagaranow.com/news.phtml/three-artists-chosen-for-latest-hydro-box-beautification-project/
Courses/Training
2006 Brian Smith – Figurative drawing and Life Drawing Master Demos
2007 Steve Rose - Non-objective painting
2016 Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre
Susan Dobson: Art History Lecture Series
2017 Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre
Julie Ponesse
Loose Landscapes
Flowers and floralscapes
Painting Niagara’s Architectural Past
2018 Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre
- Julie Ponesse
Perspective
Interiors
Painting the Night
Intensive study
Stroke Challenge
Light and Shadow
2019 - Dennis Perrin: The Perrin Method (Lifetime membership and online courses)
- Julie Ponesse:
Impressionist Inspiration
Expressive Colour
Colour Theory and Mixing
Expressive Interiors
- Jed Dorsey: Acrylic University (Lifetime membership and online courses)
2020 - Anne Blair Brown: Fresh and Fearless Brushstrokes; Nashville in person 3 day workshop
- Marjorie Hicks: Simplifying the figure; 3 day zoom workshop
- Randy Sexton: How to push paint to the edge; 3 painting online workshops
- Plein air Live conference; 3 day zoom conference
- Realism Live conference; 3 day zoom conference
2021 - John David Anderson: Analogous colours/florals/landscapes; 5 week zoom class
- John David Anderson: The True and Exciting colours in Snow; 2 day zoom class
- Robin Cheers: Capturing the Impression; 5 week zoom course
- Plein Air Live conference; 3 day zoom conference
- Melanie Morris: Fearless Florals; 1 year online course
- Peggy Kroll Roberts: Expanding the Universe; 3 week zoom class
- Michael Carson: Portraits; online course
- Kara Bullock: online classes
Acrylic Portraits
Create like a Master
Pixilated Portraits
Charcoal Portraits
2022 - Let’s Face It - year long online portrait classes with different artists every week
- Oil portrait talk with George Douro
- Will Rochfort Portraits using oils
- Realism Live conference; 3 day zoom conference
- Understanding Mentality of Art Buyers Seminar
- Effective ways for artists to use social media Seminar
- Art pricing Seminar
- Dianna Shine Portraits
2023 - Let’s Face It - year long online portrait classes with different artists every week
- Jane French Vibrant Oil Portraits
- Ali Kay Fresh Paint Acrylic painting; year long on line class
- Realism Live conference; 3 day zoom conference
2024 - 52 week painting challenge with Aimee Erickson
- The Figure in Oils with Heather Arenas; Myakka City, Florida 2 day in person class
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
I am a portrait painter in Niagara on the Lake capturing emotions and personalities with the use of vivid colours using both oils and acrylics. My portraits focus on the themes of happiness, resilience, hope and the human spirit.
I have always been creative and in 2017, I became passionate about painting. I took many classes studying architecture, landscapes, florals and even figurative. Since the beginning of 2022, I have been exploring painting portraits and it is with portraiture I have found my love. I paint faces I find intriguing: family, friends, acquaintances, strangers, young, old, happy or sad.
What really catches my interest is how the light plays on the faces and what the subject may be thinking. There is no real calculated message to my work other than I paint what I love and hopefully entertain the viewer with my authentic and heartfelt style. It’s that simple and that difficult.
It is a challenge as an artist to capture a human’s individual features and likeness while revealing the subject’s personality and character. The result of each painting is insightful as I always learn a bit about myself, my painting process, my belief in myself that I can do this, and the joyful surprise I feel when the subject comes to life on the canvas.
It is my hope that my paintings create a space from the commotion of reality for the viewer to gaze at the faces with curiosity and ponder “what is their story?”. Because face it, we all have a story.
www.nancywardleart.ca
@nancywardle
