I like to draw with pastels, or pen and colored pencils, and I love to take photos. In both mediums, I am attracted to the beauty found in nature, and I’m particularly fascinated with birds. Both mediums allow me to exercise my creativity. I am also a writer of poetry, short stories and a novel and screenplay. You can read about my novel, “Tears and Trombones,” and view my art on my website, http://www.nancileewoody.com. Much of my art is on display at the High Hand Gallery in Loomis, or, I can custom order any piece of art for you.

Medium: Drawing, Oil, and Photography

This pastel drawing is my self-portrait. My art can be seen at the High Hand Art Gallery in Loomis, at member shows at the Blue Line Gallery, Lincoln Arts and Rocklin Fine Arts, and at the KVIE/PBS annual on-air art auction/fundraisers.

My main medium lately is photography. I have a camera with me everywhere I go, and I regularly photograph nature, from insects to sunsets. I also love to draw with colored pencil and pen and occasionally I paint with oils.

I love the photography medium because I am always ready to capture the ordinary and the extraordinary. I do not have to set up or clean up. I have three cameras that I use for different situations. Drawing has the same advantage. I can keep my drawing materials ready all the time in the “art corner” in my home. Often, I draw from a photo I have taken, and just as often, I make up images.

I was born knowing how to draw. When I was a kid, I would sit for hours drawing birds or a portrait of my mother. The only supplies I had then were crayons, coloring books and notebook paper

I don’t have a “favorite” artist as such, but I admire the work of feminist artist Judy Chicago who tackled women’s issues head on with “The Dinner Party"; Augusta Savage, sculptor (the most exquisite art form, in my opinion), who had to overcome prejudice and racism to be successful; and Georgia O’Keeffe, whose highly original work earned her the title, “Mother of American modernism.”

As a child, I was not exposed to art or art galleries or museums. However, I always loved art anyway, often drew with crayons and pencil. As an adult, and after I moved from Illinois to California, I began visiting art museums. Now I can say I have visited galleries and art museums all over the world - New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, LA, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, London, Mexico City, Florence, Rome, and of course, Sacramento, to name a few.

I find inspiration in nature - a breathtaking sunset, a bumblebee, a dragonfly with transparent wings, a leaf with raindrops, a blue heron catching a fish - the possibilities are endless.

When viewing my art, I would like viewers to be exposed to something they might have missed - a triple rainbow, a reflection in the water, a dandelion poking through the cement, a bright blue dragon fly, a squirrel hanging upside down to eat from a bird feeder, a doe with her nursing fawn.

I would like to explore oil painting again, and I am impressed with the alcohol ink creations of some of our artists.

It is my sincere wish that my photos, drawings and poetry will touch the viewer in a positive way and bring a new appreciation of nature's gifts.

It is my fervent wish that my drawings and photos will bring the viewer closer to the wonders of nature all around us, every day, everywhere