IN BEST LIGHT: Well-traveled watercolor artist Nancy Glines tackles almost any subject matter, from irises to waterfront houses to a portrait of her father.
An artist through and through, Nancy Glines has the kind of creative talent that finds its way into many different pursuits and pastimes, all to bring about joy. She is also proof artists flourish with the support of community.
“Throughout my life, my career goal has always been to be a successful artist,” the Barnegat resident explained. “The reality of life has found me doing a variety of other jobs, such as secretary, caretaker on a large horse farm, administrative assistant at Patrick Air Force Base in Florida for part of the Space Program, veterinary assistant, worker at a flower shop, and a variety of other interesting jobs.”
Her experiences in those roles taught her a great deal and contributed to background as an artist, she said.
Her main medium is watercolors, occasionally acrylics. She donates and sells hand-painted Christmas ornaments, paints small wooden signs, fabric paints on cotton pillows; she creates a new design each year for the family Christmas card. With Artists Tees in Barnegat she has put a painting onto a T-shirt and then, using another technique, onto a pillow.
“The results were very promising, and I may do this again in the future,” she said.
Glines’ love of art is lifelong. She said she was “the child who did the bulletin boards in elementary school and took as many art classes as possible in high school. I attended the University of Delaware as an art education major for one year, where I met my husband, and after that, our life together has taken us on many adventures.”
Glines grew up in Talleyville, Del. and took a meandering route to Tuckerton in 2005; then moved to Waretown in 2018 and then to a historic farmhouse (built in 1887) in Barnegat in 2023. At home, Glines has a room for a studio that faces her backyard and garden with lots of windows and light.
“We’ve lived in eight different states, some of them more than once, and have fixed up numerous houses along the way. We were caretakers on a 270-acre horse farm in New Hampshire and had some exciting boating adventures there as well, going fishing in the ocean near the Isle of Shoals off the coast of Maine.”
She took a watercolor class in Maine that inspired her to take more classes when they settled back in Delaware, where they took care of elderly relatives.
“I took classes at the Center for Creative Arts, then joined the Delaware Foundation for Visual Arts. Through that group, I had the wonderful experience of meeting with other artists at a local restaurant on a weekly basis to share what we were working on and to help each other through helpful tips and friendship.”
Her artwork garners respect and praise, as well as sales.
“My friends and family have framed and collected my Christmas cards for many years and look forward to receiving them,” she said. “Those who attend Art Chat compliment my paintings and value my insights.
“I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and my art talent has always been one area of my life that I’ve felt was a special gift that I could turn to and makes me happy.”
As for her personal style, it appears to be baked in. When she has occasionally tried a different style or color, her attempts seem foreign to her, she said, “and I return to being true to who I am.”
She is inspired by beauty in nature, such as flowers, birds, animals and even insects. She loves “painting a scene that tells a story or evokes a feeling,” she said. “I enjoy replicating old black and white photos and adding the colors that I think it needs to be complete.”
Her art practice is active and consistent. Her creative process begins with connection.
Glines joined Pine Shores Art Association shortly after moving to New Jersey, she explained, because she missed the interaction with other artists that she had had in Delaware.
“I was telling a couple of artists from Pine Shores about the weekly group that I’d attended in Delaware, and they suggested I should start my own group here. I hadn’t done anything like that before, but decided to give it a try. I called my group Art Chat, and, at the beginning, about six or eight people would meet at the Tuckerton Seaport. Eventually, I asked the Tuckerton Library if they would allow us to meet there twice a month.
“During COVID, we continued to meet outside during the lockdown and at that time, I suggested that Pine Shores could count us as part of their activities since we were the only activity able to continue to meet.
“After moving to Barnegat, I decided to see if the Barnegat Library would be interested in hosting our group as well. It has turned out to be a really exceptional group of nearly 100 local artists, potters, photographers, quilters, glass workers, jewelry makers and other talents who meet once a month in Tuckerton and once a month in Barnegat.
“Our group averages 18 to 26 people who attend each location. The same core group tries to come each time, and others come when they can. We’ve become great friends and supporters of each other.”
Glines currently has some paintings for sale at Jonathan Law’s shop in Surf City. Through word of mouth, she takes occasional commissions – to do a house portrait or specific subject. She also enters Pine Shores shows.
“My paintings are always meant to bring some degree of happiness or evoke a positive emotion to the observer,” she said. A favorite flower – iris, daisy or pansy – makes people smile. Pet portraits of horses or dogs make the owners happy or preserve a happy memory.
“I love the beauty of nature, even in the smallest creatures, like a praying mantis peering out of a pokeweed plant,” she said. “Since I notice these things that bring me joy, I’ve been able to share some of the joy that it brings to my life, and for that I am blessed.”
— Victoria Ford
