Nancy Neill

“Red is the ultimate cure for sadness,” said fashion designer Bill Blass.
I felt compelled to work on red paintings during the pandemic. The warm color somehow helped me feel better and eased my feelings of depression. The many shades of red seemed to energize, warm and transport me to a better place.
This series explores the feelings and emotions generated by the color red. Red is a color of passion and intense emotions. There are many different reds. Each one suggests a slightly different feeling. Although the imagery in the series is abstract/non-objective, it gives a feeling of looking outside with some references to windows and doors. Circles, lines and other marks float in space, perhaps suggesting a happier time and place.
The paintings are oil pastel on paper. Oil pastel provides one of the most intense colorations of all mediums. Developed in the mid 1900s, oil pastel was created as a wax color stick for Pablo Picasso to use for high coloration on a variety of surfaces without fading or cracking. I felt oil pastel was the perfect medium choice for my series since it is about intense feelings and needed strong coloration. Each painting is done in many layers of oil pastel, developing a thick and creamy surface texture. 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 joyful and full of movement. 

Nancy Neill Resume 

Nancy Neill's most recent solo exhibition was held May 5 - 30, 2021. A selection of her works is currently available at the gallery as indicated. For inquiries on all other works shown, please Contact Us. 


Seeing Red, acrylic and graphite on mylar on panel, 40" x 40"