Nancy Paul

Lansdowne, Ontario, Canada

I grew up in northwestern Ontario but moved south to study art in Toronto, then literature in Kingston.  At Queen’s University I worked in clinical cancer research for several years. For the past while I have returned to my vocation of visual artist.

Artist’s Statement

I have worked primarily in acrylics (canvas, paper, stone) but have recently taken up creating images as well with drypoint and collagraph, experiencing the reverse world mystery of the press.

My subject matter is the experience of being a mortal, feeling creature in the world. The female figure is the conduit. Common themes involve the juxtaposition or contrast of natural with artefactual; classical/ancient with modern/new; traditional with experimental. Birds and fish are key symbols in my work. Sequencing and pattern are important facets of my design sense.

The body beneath the surface is an enduring mystery. We experience intimations of our own mortality looking at medical diagnostic imaging. My figurative art follows modern science’s lead into the centre of human existence.