About artist/designer Nanci Closson

Born: 1943 Durham, North Carolina
Education: BA degree, Commercial Art: Purdue University
Graduate studies, ceramic sculpture, printmaking; University of Arizona, Tucson
Media: Acrylic watercolor, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, ceramic sculpture

Major national exhibitions and membership:
American Watercolor Society
Watercolor U.S.A.
Rocky Mountain National Watermedia
National Watercolor Society
Audubon Artists
Hoosier Salon
Marietta Mainstreams

Membership and/or awards in all of the above.

Publications:
Master Class in Watercolor, by Edward Betts, Watson Guptill
Watercolor, the Creative Experience, by Barbara Nechis, North Light



Nanci Blair Closson, a transplant from Indiana to Tucson, Arizona in 1978 with a move to Mexico and San Miguel de Allende in 1992, considers herself a Hoosier first. Having lived her growing up, post university and first marriage years in Indiana, her early art work reflects those influences. Three years spent in Panama and the Canal Zone (1966-1969) provided strong direction for her later drawings and paintings.

During the late 70’s and 80’s her styles and techniques were purposely varied: hard-edged watercolors spliced with hazy floating forms; bold textured abstracts in acrylic sweeping across large canvases, batik-like characteristics defined still other more realistic landscapes.

As an expatriate to Mexico in 1992, Nanci left the selling circuit/U.S. gallery representation and watercolor exhibition scenario, putting painting as a vocation on hold indefinitely. Shifting talents and creative energy she designed, landscaped, furnished, decorated and built her own personal sculptural living environment, “Tres Casitas”, which is home (when she is in San Miguel) and guest house for vacationers. During construction she personally installed the talavera tiles for 5 baths and 3 kitchens.

Nanci most enjoys creating living spaces from start (plans on paper) to finished details (furnished and landscaped). After Tres Casitas, detailed mosaic tiling and Talavera throughout on walls, walks; in baths and kitchens have continued to be her artistic medium of choice, although she occasionally paints and makes Raku sculptural ceramics for pleasure.

Other "small space property" projects followed for San Miguel until late 2003 when Nanci extended this second career to the Pacific coast of Mexico north and south of Puerto Vallarta. Now in 2008 she builds with her son Corey in small beach towns, Sayulita, La Manzanilla and Tenacatita on the Costa Alegre.

Nanci spends most summers in Culver, Indiana at Lake Maxinkuckee and the rest of the year "around" Mexico.