Interview by Vidabeth Bensen and Forrest Greenslade April 11, 2022
Painter Nancy Ann Moore shares a rural Chatham County home and studio with her photographer husband Timothy Dowdall. They will exhibit their art together the first two weeks in December at the 2022 Chatham Studio Tour.
“As long as I can remember I have been an artist. Growing up I was always drawing, painting, making things and thinking up new ideas. I was fascinated with any medium I could get my hands on. It didn’t matter if it was pencils, crayons, markers, paint, scotch tape, paper or play dough… if I was creating, I was in my element.”
Born in Carrboro, Nancy grew up in Durham. She studied art at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, planning to become a full-time artist. However, she didn’t have the time to allow her art career to grow. She became a hair stylist because she needed to support herself and her child. “I worked for 27 years doing hair, It was a wonderful job.” When her hair styling business closed in March 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic, it allowed Nancy and Timothy to reevaluate, realign and assess their lives. Dowdall Moore Creative was born.
Nancy now specializes in watercolor painting. “I have worked with all kinds of media and I’m most drawn to the unique translucent quality of watercolor. It allows me to add depth, shadow and shape through layers of color.” She uses color to add depth and the white of the paper for lights. Between them the image emerges. “In this way, I feel like a sculptor, slowly guiding the image into form.” Nancy’s work is characterized by her mastery of light. In her most recent series of paintings, she explores the way the sun falls on leafy trees. “when the trees capture the sunlight just right it is quite beautiful. It awakens reverence and wonder in me and I am inspired to recreate the image in my paintings, or at least enjoy trying.”
Nancy’s body of work includes landscapes, portraiture, illustration and pet paintings. “I hope that people find my paintings to nourish the soul, promote peace of mind and make them smile. ” Her art can be seen on her website and on her Chatham Artists Guild presence.
