Jill Nassau JILL NASSAU

My art career has been a journey for me. I started as a Graphic Artist and Illustrator in the late 1960’s. I worked for many Advertising Agencies and Companies and maintained my own Graphic Art business until l990.

I started painting large representational oil portraits in the early 1980’s when I knew I wanted to pursue fine art as a career. I have painted consistently since then experimenting with different styles, different media, and different techniques – some looser and more expressive than my original portrait series. I almost always paint figuratively. I have found over the years that I am very inspired by the seasons and you will find them repeatedly in my work. I also have an affinity for the water...Beach, Pool, and Sand- I love it! Bright colors too! This leads me to my recent Beach, Oil on Canvas paintings. I love the figures on the beach and at the pool dressed in colorful swimwear illuminated by the sun. I am still at work on this series. When on vacation I try to capture new, exciting images to paint.

I like to work on two different things at one time…a sculpture project and a painting project. I have always had an experimental side and after many classes I started experimenting with cast resin relief sculpture on a two dimensional background. When I completed about 10 pieces in this series, my sculpture evolved to free standing, three-dimensional forms.

Around 1998, I was helping an artist friend of mine organize her studio. She had many scrap pieces of stained glass in a box. When I handled these pieces, the beautiful colors and the sparkle of the glass fascinated me. I knew immediately that I wanted to work with glass as a medium. My cut glass sculptures have also evolved – I usually use moments in time out of my memory as a theme. The sculptures have gotten more refined technically as I go along. I started with larger pieces and progressed to a smaller size. I originally cast all my sculptures in resin, but I have found a new self –drying clay that works better. I love most designing the glass pieces to fit each sculpture. My most recent pieces are scenes in my mind that will remain forever like the Circus. “ Elephant Act ” is my most recent piece. I love the Circus and have many ideas utilizing this theme for future sculptures.

I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in Sculpture and Painting and I have studied with some of the best professionals in the country. My work has been in many shows and exhibits and featured in several galleries.