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Meet Nancy Breiman of Joyful Art

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Breiman.

Nancy, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have had an amazing journey. I entered college to study art but at the time I didn’t think I wanted to be an art teacher nor did I have the talent to be a graphic artist, really the only two options at that time…so, I switched my major and became an Industrial Arts teacher (Shop as most of you would call it). I’m a Capricorn and practical by nature so this seemed to make more sense. While I was one of only four women who graduated with this degree I did go on to teach shop for a year but found myself barely surviving. In search of a more lucrative job, I was hired by IBM for a sales job. After 35 successful years, over a million air miles and four continents, I am retiring on August 31st and will pursue my painting passion full time.

Art and creativity never left me. Through all my wonderful trips for work, I always had my camera in hand. I have over 15,000 amazing photos from my journeys to Europe, South Africa, China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Japan and I can’t wait to paint them all! The landscapes, culture, and people are a huge fascination for me. There are so many obvious differences but in the end, we are all really the same, looking to make the most of our lives and find joy and peace among our fellow man. There is so much beauty in our world I feel it is my artistic duty to capture it and share with others in the hopes that my art will bring joy into their homes.

As my kids grew up my husband and I downsized our home. But two years before that I had the hankering to paint. My kids bought me a beautiful easel for Christmas but work and life got in the way. It sat in the box until the day we moved, then the light bulb went off in my head! I now had an empty bedroom that I could set up to paint in. And so my art journey began again. Still working full time, I knew I needed to find a medium I could walk away from. Oil paints would allow me to do this but I had never used them before.

After many YouTube tutorials, I took the plunge and fell in love with them. I found some wonderful online instructors and began taking lessons. I enrolled in multiple workshops at the Scottsdale Artists School and began to paint daily before dawn. Like any craft, you need to work at it. With positive reinforcement from my instructors, family and friends I started my painting business called Joyful Art. I created my website and I was off running.

I love to paint flowers but have also found I am drawn to landscapes. I recently took up en plein air painting and look forward to cooler weather when I can get back outside with my paints.

My work is very diverse as you will see in my photos. I also paint in watercolor, contemporary acrylic and mixed media. I did a mixed media collaboration with my friends, Lisa King, and Lauren Daniels, co-authors of the book “Tiny Life Changes” that include inspirational quotes.

Throughout my journey I have been blessed by being selected for the Scottsdale Artists School, Best & Brightest Show two years in a row and this year my painting “Taking Center Stage” was chosen as the winner of the People’s Choice Award.

I will continue to build on my craft as I learn more from the wonderful community of artists we have here. I’m a member of the Arizona Artists Guild and the Sonoran Arts League. Beginning September 6th my acrylic paintings will be in the Sonoran Arts League “Abstract & Contemporary” show at their location in Cave Creek.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I have to say my journey has been relatively smooth. I did have the luxury of being employed full time which allowed me to afford the workshops and materials I needed to explore my craft. Like anything new you embark on, you will have your ups and downs. I have been fortunate to have wonderful friends who have collected my work over these past few years and continue to support my creative journey.

Taking a positive attitude and learning from my failures has been my mantra! As many know, art is in the eye of the beholder and you won’t appeal to everyone. Creating art should come from your soul and express what gives you joy. When I love my subject it shows in my work.

Tell us more about your art.
I’m very proud that my little painting business called Joyful Art is doing well. While my heart lies with oil painting I do love to explore other mediums. Because my art is diverse it can be confusing to my viewers but I can’t help it. Part of what I love is trying different styles, realistic, impressionism, abstract and contemporary, in bright colors. Color brings me joy and I find that most of my work is very colorful. I have even painted dog portraits for commission which I love to do. I find the most joy when doing a commission because I love to create something special for the collector. It is so heartwarming when I see the final painting hung in their home on their own walls.

I have enough room in my home studio now to teach others, back to my roots and have run several acrylic paint pouring workshops. It’s so fun to watch the joy in my students when they walk out the door with a completed work. As a student myself, I love to encourage others to explore their creative side.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
It takes a village they say and I certainly did not get where I am alone. Special credit goes to my favorite art instructor, mentor, and friend, Nancy Medina. Nancy is an accomplished painter who uses beautiful bright colors. She has had the most impact on my painting. I have traveled to her home studio in Flower Mound, TX for several workshops, joined her in Fredricksburg, TX for an amazing workshop during the poppy season and soon I will head to Carcassonne France with her to paint.

I was also blessed by the amazing instructors at the Scottsdale Artists School. Each and every one has taught me something important. And lastly, I had the good fortune to meet a wonderful, local en plein air painter, Casey Cheuvront who has taken me under her wing to teach me. Together we have braved the summer Arizona heat to paint the glorious landscape we live in. Of course, my friends, family and collectors have also played a role. My husband Matt gets extra credit for allowing me take over our home as my art studio and to travel and paint. He is my biggest fan!

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