The overarching theme of my work is a personal narrative about home and family. I use my art to hold parts of life, finding the threads that entwine our experiences to examine identity, create meaning and build community. Stories of events, as well as objects, flow in and out of my paintings, drawings and sculptures. What we remember, collect, save, and leave behind, all inform and inspire my work.
Click images for a larger view…
Tribute
This body of work began with my return to printmaking as a centering prayer during a time of personal mourning. Like the daily Kaddish from the Jewish tradition recited following the death of a loved one, these flowing mixed media works are a beloved tribute and an intention to find grace and beauty in our ephemeral lives.
Passages
Dini, my beloved black lab is my centering mantra, my guide and muse. She stands in/or swims, as me; navigating uncertain waters as a woman, mother, daughter, and citizen who is deeply concerned about our fragile world in turmoil. Children leaving the nest, aging; our own and our parents, the death of a family member be they on two or four legs, mark the passage of time and inevitable change.
Snapshots from our walks together at nearby White Clay Creek Park are opportunities to embrace small moments and reflect on bigger questions around love, loss, joy, fear, longing and are the inspiration for these mixed media paintings.
Beneath the Surface
In the midst of change or personal turmoil, I have always found my center in and near water.
My backyard pond is a sanctuary for me to sit, meditate, practice yoga, and paint. Pond life is continually moving and changing with the weather, the seasons, as well as moment to moment. Some of the smaller pieces are snapshots – moments frozen in time. The larger paintings are more like water itself, constantly in flux, with life shifting above and below the surface. Process and presence are part of an ongoing investigation and connection to something larger than self.
Ne(s)ts
Like the flotsam and jetsam that wash ashore entangled and intertwined, I am interested in our interconnectedness and how our individual stories are part of something larger than self. This work is an exploration- and celebration of moments that are fleeting and full of grace.
Sculptures
Nets, webs, and nests are created with mixed media and found objects to hold, filter, and catch the minutia of our lives.
Their materials vary, but they are all threads or lines woven together to hold, filter, or catch. Seemingly unrelated elements come together as an intimate journal to discover our interconnectedness, and to find meaning and beauty in our ephemeral lives.
6 Comments
Carolyn Young
May 22, 2015Nanci,
Your work is beautiful and thought provoking and I love your website. Congratulations on your cover article in Professional Artist Magazine!
Nanci Hersh
June 8, 2015Thank you Carolyn for visiting my site and your kind supportive words. Greatly appreciated!
Rick Scoville
August 3, 2015Such a soft and refreshing use of color. Beautiful
Nanci Hersh
August 7, 2015Thank you Rick. The love and respect we share for the water is a constant inspiration.
Val Kim
November 18, 2015Hi Nanci!
It was so great to see you on Oahu! I’m so glad I got to go to the show. Your work is wonderful – My favs are the light/whites w just a few splashes of color…it takes the mind and kickstarts the imagination – Beneath the Surface and Frenzy – love them!!
Take Good care of yourself honey – Malama pono – lets keep in touch! aloha mai,
Val
http://www.vyok.com – if you get a chance – check out my last exhibtion – Light Speed -2012 – there is a video I made for the show(8″) and of the installation(3″)
Nanci Hersh
November 21, 2015It was great to see you as well Val. Thank you for taking the time to visit here and for your comments. I recently went to your website as well and can see that we are kindred spirits. Wow. Beautiful shots and of course we are both drawn to the beauty, colors and spirit of our beloved koi. I am glad that we reconnected and I look forward to sharing our work together.