Watercolor Award: Taneisha

Taneisha Watercolor 2015 NBMiller

I was honored to receive Best Transparent Watercolor Award for my painting Taneisha at the Philadelphia Sketch Club’s 2016 Annual Works on Paper Exhibition.
• On view: Jan 2-24, 2016
• Reception: Sunday Jan 10, 2016 2-4 PM
• The Philadelphia Sketch Club
235 S. Camac Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107-5608
215-545-9298
www.sketchclub.org

Receiving the medal  photo credit: Molly Bolger Jenssen

The 2016 award winners line-up  

Many thanks to the judges, and to the Philadelphia Sketch Club, and most of all to my model Taneisha Shaw whose inner and outer beauty inspired my painting.

Passing the Torch!

On September 21 I was honored to preside at the meeting that voted David Campbell Wilson as the new President of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Alumni Association Council. Heartfelt congratulations to David who I know will lead the council forward with great skill and intelligence!

Outgoing PAFA Alumni Council President Nancy Bea Miller and new President David Campbell Wilson
photo: Jennifer Baker
art: Murray Dessner

I found my three year term of service as council President to be richly satisfying, challenging, broadening, stretching and often just plain fun! I highly recommend a stint of community service as a way to enhance your own life. Have to say, I was touched by initially being asked to consider "renewing" my term of office, but with a new degree, a new job and some new family obligations I decided this natural end of my term of office was a good time to pass on the torch, with grateful thanks! The PAFA Alumni Council is a wonderful collaboration, and we accomplished A LOT thanks to many people's combined efforts, energy, ideas, creativity and support.

Left to right: David Brigham, Fred Danziger, Jennifer Baker, Nancy Bea Miller, Laura Adams, Nancy Citrino, David Campbell Wilson, Maureen Drdak, Hilarie Hawley, Elizabeth Wilson, Jeffrey Carr. AAC members not pictured:
Eliza Auth, Holly Brigham, Martin Campos, Zachary Martin, Katrina Rakowski, Sterling Shaw
photo: André van de Putte 

Many, many, people who were a big part of of how much we managed to get done are not pictured here, probably too many to list for fear of omitting someone, but waves of gratitude to you all!

n.b.Special thanks to Nathanael Brouhard who keeps the AAC meetings energetic and sweet with coffee and doughnuts!

For more information on the PAFA Alumni Association Council look here.

Amber at the Philadelphia Flower Show!

"Amber, Dreaming" oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches

I am thrilled to announce that my painting "Amber, Dreaming" is on display at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The piece is part of a venture to showcase the work of local art school students in this year's flower show. This year's show theme is "ARTiculture" and I was very honored that the PFS committee chose my piece.  16 PAFA students were selected in all and our pieces will be rotated: Amber is in the current grouping dates to view Friday 2/28 through 3/3.

n.b. Because of some family issues which took me out of state, I was not able to get in to see it hanging in person! Many many thanks to Cara Schmidt who stumbled upon it at the show and was intrigued enough to read the label and then realize her friend had painted it...what a lucky happenstance! She snapped a shot and posted it too so I got to see it in situ...you're so great Cara ♡  And huge thanks also to my lovely model, Amber, for allowing me to paint her and then show the piece! ♡♡  Here's the show photo:

"Amber, Dreaming" oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches
The Philadelphia Flower Show 2014
photo courtesy of Cara Schmidt

Surprised by a Prize!

At the opening, next to the prize-winner

It's been a long time since I won a prize! I've gotten honors, been awarded grants and been invited to speak and asked to act as a judge, also honors, but it has been years since I was awarded a good old-fashioned prize!  I was especially tickled that the prize was awarded not by an art world-er but by a famous pastry chef: Patrick Gauthron, formerly of Le Bec Fin, and now of Aux Petits Delices. Ironically, the pastry in the painting, a traditional confection called an opera, came from one of his competitors, our local french bakery, Le Petit Mitron. I highly recommend having a local french bakery, preferably within walking distance if you can manage it! ;-)

The show is a lot of fun to view if you're in the area!
There's Always Room For Dessert
Date: Feb 4, 2011 - Feb 24, 2011
Opening Reception: First Fri., Feb. 4, 6-9 pm
Main Line Art Center
746 Panmure Road
Haverford, PA 19041
610.525.0272 

Dear Fleisher Featured Artist

(Clare Day, Giovanni Casadei and me at the Dear Fleisher Preview party last night, Friday, September 24, 2010)
I was honored by being named one of the current Dear Fleisher's featured artists. The list of Featured Artists whose work was raffled off:
Bo Bartlett
Jill Bonovitz
Frances Galante
Nancy Bea Miller (me!)

Silent Auction Artists:
David Brewster
Giovanni Casadei
Tim Hawkesworth
Jane Irish
Kurt Solmssen
Stephen Talasnik

Tomorrow, Sunday, September 26th the Dear Fleisher Exhibition and Sale will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 PM . I donated one 4 x 6 painting to that, as well. I personally feel a debt of gratitude to Fleisher for reasons I won't go into right now, and they are a wonderful part of the Philadelphia community, offering free or low-cost art classes to all comers. So I was very happy to have this chance to show my thanks.

The preview was a fun party! Susan Dineen created gorgeous blue and orange signature drinks she calls Picassos (wish Id thought to take a picture!) and a merry time was had by all.

Artist of the Month

Judson's Art Outfitters features an artist in every month's newsletter and I am it for July! If interested, click images below to read in higher resolution.

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