Painting from Life

Local painter, Nancy Bogni, loves to paint from life.  As a result, much of her work involves people -- people looking, eating, dining, walking, resting, playing and making music.

Nancy paints with watercolor, oil, pastel and gouache.  While much of her work has a softness and warmth that reminds one of Renoir's work, some of her work is positively photographic in nature.  One example of this is the painting to the right which portrays Master Artist, Bill Cumming, in conversation with a young artist.

When asked about the origins of her interest in art, Bogni states, "I think I was born loving it.  In summers my grandmother would tell me to go play outside when I would prefer to be inside drawing."

Married just out of high school, Bogni put her passion aside when four children came in quick succession.  She spent 25 years raising her children - fifteen of these with her husband and ten as a single parent.  She also developed a career with Boeing as a draftsman and graphic artist.

Bogni has studied under several artists including Sergei Bongart, Mark Daly (Scottsdale Art School scholarship), Tedd Goershner and local artists -- William F. Reese, Deanne Lemley and Jerry Stitt.

In 1988 Bogni retired from Boeing and began painting and teaching full time.   As if making up for lost time, Bogni has been very prolific as she has produced hundreds of works of art in just 15 years.

Bogni's award winning art has been exhibited at Northwest Watercolor Society, Edmonds Art Show, Puyallup Fair Art Show, Women Painters of Washington (including their Millennium Images show in 2000), Frye Art Museum (Puget Sound Area Exhibition, Celebrating Women in the Arts and NWWS 60th Anniversary Retrospective) and Puget Sound Country sponsored by West Coast Paper Company.

Currently Bogni's work is on exhibit at The Mercer Island Gallery at 8236 SE 24th St until August 22nd and is available for view and purchase at the Art Stall Gallery at Pike Place Market.

Bogni teaches small groups at her studio which is located with two other local women painters (Maryanne Perkins and Maxine Lawrence) behind the Federal Center South on East Marginal Way.  Bogni also teaches painting courses at the Highline Senior Center.

Says Bogni, "Creating art is like an addiction, the more you do the more you want, I love it all and am always, always searching for the artist within."

For more information you may phone Bogni at 206-878-5576.