About Nancy Ray Ricciardi

Nancy Ray Ricciardi has been painting and teaching art in Sonoma County for almost 30 years. She has been a member of the Sonoma County ARTrails Open Studio tour since 1999 and shows regularly at various local venues including Quercia Gallery in Duncans Mills.

Artist Statement

Art is an essential part of Being. Making art, understanding art; these things are necessary to the whole person.

Life is demanding. We have precious little time to lose ourselves on inner journeys. Sometimes, being able to stop for just a moment to stand before a work of art – whether simple, humorous, realistic, or abstract – can be enough to recharge the spirit, rearrange our perspective, and lead us more calmly back to the challenges at hand. My art is meant to represent a quiet moment, a peaceful interlude.

My work allows me the opportunity to escape into reality, away from the decidedly abstract world. It is not meant to be photographically accurate, it is an interpretation of natural truth. Even the energy of fast moving water should inspire an interlude of quiet reflection.

On Painting Water

Water has many levels – the surface, reflections, and whatever lies beneath. Water can be a mirror or a window. It is still, rippling, turbulent and calm. Water has the potential to nourish and the power to destroy. Painting water requires the integration of all of these elements while maintaining the individuality of each.

“Leaving space for silence is something that should be valued but isn’t easy in today’s world.”

– Herbert Baglione

The media of watercolor necessitates spontaneity, fluidity, understanding and respect for not only the subject but also the process itself. This is my greatest challenge.