Painting, sketching and drawing and have been part of Nancy Shumaker’s daily life since her father began encouraging her and teaching her. His father is also a professional photographer and artist. Private instruction from her father was followed by an art degree and now over 25 years of creating and exhibiting her work. Her watercolor paintings inspired by the abundant wildflowers and the nearly three hundred and fifty species of birds which inhabit the Lake Erie shoreline of northwestern Pennsylvania. The paintings begin as freehand pencil sketches using hairline brushstrokes, and then she creates the detailed textures and the colors required to depict leaf veining, feather vermiculation, or animal fur. Major paintings require months of work from composition to completion and even smaller pieces require several days of concentrated effort.
She gives her paintings an added intensity as she uses layers of color to achieve dimension and depth. Over the years, Nancy’s works has have been published worldwide by Wild Apple Graphics, a leading publishing company in addition to being an exhibitor at the Sugarloaf Mountain Craft Festivals since their inception. She also continues to publish select pieces in very small editions for her collectors and patrons. Her work has been used on a variety of products from ceramics to calendars and puzzles, clothing and fine floor coverings. She exhibits in two dozen events every year. This has provided the opportunity for clients to obtain her original prints, paintings, and pencil sketches directly from her. She has several pieces of art to her name.
