Rebirth & Healing, by Nancy Steele-Makasci

Closing reception for "Rebirth & Healing," artwork by Nancy Steele-Makasci. Exhibit runs from August 17–October 3. Artist's Statement: The soul calls one to be an artist. I responded to the call as a young child, and I continue to do so today. When I was young, it seemed like I was never meant to be an artist even though I fervently made drawings and paintings. My youth was spent working in my father’s fields and sawmill in an isolated Appalachian community in southeastern Indiana. Opportunities to become a “real” artist were very few and not always within my reach. My early struggles, however, showed me that being an artist is not always afforded through affluence, opportunity, and privilege. On the contrary, the qualities that really benefit an artist are persistence, learning new ideas and techniques and, most importantly, the continual practice of making art. After studying traditional Japanese color woodblock printing in Japan, I was fascinated with the natural and innate qualities of watercolor. Since my time in Japan in 2024, I made the mokuhanga prints and watercolor paintings shown here. The paintings were also inspired by Japanese woodblock prints. I combine watercolor on paper with the use of Japanese-style hake brushes transforming the absorbent paper into intervals of vibrant colors. I create repetitive strokes with the brush that are meditative and healing. I hope that viewers of my work find solace and repose while experiencing the instinctual joy and passion of color. Artist's Bio: Nancy Steele-Makasci is an interdisciplinary visual artist and art educator. She makes art in a wide range of media including reproducible print media, painting, drawing, and book arts. Nancy continually encourages others to make art and to pursue their dreams of becoming artists in her position as Professor of Art in the Department of Art & Design at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah where she has taught courses in painting, drawing, printmaking and art education. A native Hoosier from eastern Indiana, Nancy received an MFA in Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and an MA in Art from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She also completed a BA in Visual Arts Education (magna cum laude) at Ball State University. During 2024, Nancy completed an arts residency at the MI-LAB in Echizen, Japan where she focused on honing her skills and knowledge of the advanced techniques of mokuhanga also known as traditional Japanese woodblock printing.