Nancy Niles

Portrait paintings

Confidence, 16x20", 2023

Taking a Break, 16x20", 2023

Window, 20x30", 2023

At That Moment, 16x20", 2023

Biography

Working predominantly with acrylic painting and ceramics, Nancy Niles’ work engenders themes regarding human emotion and feminism. Most known for her female portraits, Niles takes inspiration both from her own imagination and from photos by fashion photographers, such as Richard Avedon and Paolo Roversi. She has shown her work in venues including Santa Cruz Open Studios, Sacramento Open Studios, Sierra Azul Sculpture Garden, Pajaro Valley Arts, and Santa Cruz Art League. Niles was born in Monterey, California and currently resides in Santa Cruz.

Afternoon Tea, 16x20", 2023

Victory 1, 20x20", 2022

My Process

I think of my paintings as people who drop in from other dimensions; they might look familiar, like relatives or old friends. I also paint using photo references from fashion: nostalgic, vital women who could be my mother or aunt from the fifties or sixties, as well as more modern takes of gracefully aging beauties. The viewer is invited to feel the inner workings of the portrait subject, as if anticipating what she/(and occasionally he) might be feeling, thinking or saying next. I rely on our desires for intrigue, self actualization, and wonder.

Innocence, 40x40", 2023

Contact

For further information regarding price and availability, please contact me.

Instagram@nancynilesart

Santa Cruz, CA