My abstract oil pastel series explores the feelings and emotions generated by color. These paintings use warm colors to evoke a passionate and uplifting feeling. For me, the many shades of red and other passionate colors serves to energize, warm and transport me to a better place. Each painting is done in a unique color to evoke a slightly different emotion. Although the imagery in the series is abstract/non-objective, it gives a feeling of looking outside. Circles, lines and other marks float in space, perhaps suggesting a happy time and place.
The paintings are oil pastel on paper. Oil pastel provides one of the most intense colorations of all mediums. Each painting is done in many layers of oil pastel, developing a thick and creamy surface. Earlier layers are revealed using a palette knife to cut back into the surface and create various marks and gestures. I think of my work as passionate and full of movement.
Nancy Neill is a contemporary abstract painter who was born in Akron, Ohio. She has had ten solo exhibitions and has been included in numerous group shows. She has traveled extensively in the US and internationally, and currently lives in the Philadelphia area. Nancy has had several awards and been included in a number of publications. Her work is in the Woodmere Art Museum’s permanent collection and in many private collections.
Nancy had a solo exhibition at Cerulean Arts Gallery in 2022 and at Muse Gallery in 2022. Her next solo exhibition will be at Muse Gallery in May 2024. She was in the 2020 Hamptons Art Fair represented by Bluestone Gallery. Nancy participated in the Art of the State exhibition at the State Museum of Pennsylvania, a group show at the Cerulean Arts Gallery curated by Liz Osborne, and also in a group show at the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts curated by Bridgette Mayer.
Nancy received a B.S. degree from Miami University in Ohio and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago.
University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
MA
Miami of Ohio, Oxford, OH
BA
Woodmere Art Museum
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Main Line Art Center
2018
Winner Solo Show Award, Tri-State Artist Equity, West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Merit Award, New Hope Art League Juried art Show, Jurors: James Toogood & Lisa Hanover
2012
Richard Nexon Award, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Cheltenham, PA
Main Line Art Center Annual Exhibition Award Winner, Juror: Moe Brooker
Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
"Bluestone Fine Art Gallery @ Hampton’s Virtual Art Fair", InLiquid, July 2020
"Synergy/Contemporary Landscapes", creativephl.org, November 2019
"Artists and Life Partners Find Synergy", Philadelphia Gay News, November 25, 2018:24
Studio Visit Magazine, Winter 2017
"Untitled," DonArtNews, November 2016
"Muse Gallery Nancy Neill," Where Philadelphia, November 2016; 20
"Hill Artists Honored," Chestnut Hill Local 13 August, 2015:27
"The State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces Finalists for Annual ‘Art of the State’ Exhibition, Awards Set for June 28," PR Newswire, www.prnewswire.com, June 9, 2015
"Artist of the Week" First Friday Feature Film online, February 27, 2015
"Art Studio Visit" Artsy Shark 20 January, 2015
"Art in Philly: First Fridays" The Walk Online, October 23, 2014
"Hill ex-corporate exec now wins awards with abstract art," Chestnut Hill Local October 30, 2014: 27
"The Art of Promotion,” The Professional Artist, June/July 2014: 20-24
"Hill Painters Expect Artwork to Pay Creative Dividends," Chestnut Hill Local, January 9, 2014: 14
“Fall AE Select Show report” Philadelphia/Tri-State Artists Equity Association, Fall 2013: 3
“Juror’s Discussion: Dr. Donald Kuspit on Painting 215/610 Annual Juried Exhibition” Philadelphia Magazine Online, September 12, 2013
Ricketson, Kathreen. "Self Portrait Challenge," Artful Blogging, Premier 2001: 134-37
"The Art of Promotion", Professional Artist Magazine, June/July 2014
Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Private collections in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, Georgia, and France
InLiquid, Philadelphia, PA
2015-2018
Director, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2011-Present
Collections Committee, Woodmere Art Museum, Philadelphia, PA
2022
New Work, Cerulean Arts Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Balancing Act, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2021
Feeling Red, Cerulean Arts Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2020
Select New Work, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2019
Recent Work, Cerulean Arts Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2018
Synergy/Contemporary Landscapes, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2017
Recent Work, Cerulean Arts Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2016
Untitled, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2014
The Urban Landscape Reimagined, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2011
Faces of Hospitality, Pagus Gallery, Norristown, PA
2023
The Visual Voice, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2022
28" and Under, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2021
Annual Exhibition, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2020
Hamptons Art Fair, Bluestone Fine Arts Gallery Booth, Virtual Fair
2019
42nd Annual Exhibition, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
The Incredible Lightness of Art, Tri-State Artists Equity, Wallingford, PA
Juried Exhibition
Regional Juried Spring Open, Wayne Art Center, Wayne, PA
Philadelphia/Tri-State Artists Equity Juried Show, GoggleWorks, Reading, PA
Professional Artist Members Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2018
Artist Equity Spring Exhibition, West Chester University, West Chester, PA
112th Annual Juried Exhibition, GoggleWorks, Reading, PA
Juried Art Show, New Hope Art League, New Hope, PA
Professional Members Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2017
40th Annual Exhibition, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Artist Equity 68th Anniversary Exhibition, Community Arts Center, Wallingford, PA
Juror: Jan Baltzell
Professional Artist Members Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2016
The 39th Anniversary Show, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Artist Equity 67th Anniversary Exhibition, West Chester University, West Chester, PA
Juror: Michael Kowbuz
Spring Gala Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
Professional Artist Members Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
2015
The 38th Anniversary Show and Benefit for Project HOME, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
3rd Annual Juried Exhibition, Cerulean Arts Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Art + Science, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Art of the State, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, PA
Spring Gala Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
Act II, Muse Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2014
Juried Group Exhibition, Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE
Juror: Bridgette Mayer
86th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Harrisburg, PA
71st Cheltenham Annual Awards Juried Painting Show, Cheltenham, PA
Juror: Richard Rosenfeld
MCGOPA: The Artists’ Perspective, SPP Galleries, Conshohocken PA
Juror: Charles Stainback, Director, Berman Museum of Art
2013
Artist Equity Select Show, Media PA
Juror: Moe Brooker
215/610 Juried Exhibition, Delaware County Community College, Media, PA
Juror: Dr. Kuspit
Lancaster Art Association National Juried Exhibition, Strasburg, PA
85th Annual Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
PAFA Annual Juried Student Exhibition, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA
2012
Annual Exhibition, Main Line Art Center, Haverford, PA
Annual Juried Show, Abington Art Center, Abington, PA
MCGOPA Annual Spring Juried Show, SSP Galleries, Conshohocken, PA
Juror: Christopher Schmidt, Schmidt-Dean Gallery
84th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Art Association of Harrisburg, Harrisburg, PA
Juror: Robert Cozzolino
MCGOPA “The World of the Professional Artist” Show, SSP Galleries, Conshohocken, PA
Annual Show, 3rd Street Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
71st Annual Show, Cheltenham Center for the Arts, Cheltenham, PA
2011
Small Works, Pagus Gallery, Norristown, PA
Memory, Show Pagus Gallery, Norristown, PA
2010
Nicols Berg Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
Absolutely Abstract Exhibit, Philadelphia Sketch Club, Philadelphia, PA
