Nancy Ray Ricciardi

My earliest motivation for making art was escape - but that turned into love.

I have always felt most grounded in nature. Even my own small garden affords my communion with the Whole and, somehow, painting allows me to give voice to this. As with the great artist Henri Matisse, I strive to convey peace and beauty.

Although I am a studio painter, my process begins in the field with my camera. The resulting photos are not meant as art of themselves but as sketches which help to stimulate my imagination. The paintings I create are more about my response to the landscape than the actual fields and ponds I've recorded.

Art is an essential part of Being. Making art and understanding art - these things are necessary to the whole person.

Life is demanding. We have precious little time to lose ourselves on inner journeys. Sometimes, being able to stop for just a moment to stand before a work of art - whether simple, humorous, realistic, or abstract - can be enough to recharge the spirit, rearrange our perspective, and lead us more calmly back to the challenges at hand. My art is meant to represent a quiet moment, a peaceful interlude.

My work allows me the opportunity to escape into reality, away from the decidedly abstract world. It is not meant to be photographically accurate, it is an interpretation of natural truth. Even the energy of fast moving water should inspire an interlude of quiet reflection.

"Leaving space for silence is something that should be valued but isn't in today's world."
-- Herbert Baglione, 2009