Nancy Mills
Playa Vista, CA
Age 75
What keeps you excited in the studio?
Everything. The paints. The brushes. The paper. How my energy rev’s up. I literally feel a force moving through me.
Looking back at your trajectory as an artist, how would you say your work has developed?
I’ve always been known for colors. The chakra energy is part of my story. What has changed DRAMATICALLY is my use of paper. I only started painting when I was 70, and I didn’t discover Yupo paper until this year. I have gone from painting on 140 lb. watercolor paper to painting on Yupo paper. The flow is completely different and I am able to bring more movement and depth to my art.
What role do you think the artist has in today’s society?
Each artist is a reflection of truth, creativity, expression, vibrancy. A mirror of what’s to come and what is.
What’s the most important advice you could give to an aspiring artist?
Believe in your art and connect with those who believe in you and your art too. “No” is only a powerful word if you let it become one. Most of the time it is an opportunity for something bigger and greater.
Does age matter in art? Why or why not?
The more you know, the more you see. Age offers freedom of expression without the pressure of becoming known. Age is a divine gift. I say, use it divinely.
What can we look forward to from you next?
Traveling around the world. As an energy artist, I realized my art changes in different locations. When I was in Greece for a month, I painted 65 paintings, which are very different from the paintings I paint in LA. My next adventure will be Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. After that San Miquel de Allende in Mexico. And soon thereafter I will start compiling my art adventures in a book. As a former travel journalist, I see it all laid out.
Is there anything else you would like to share about being an artist later in life?
I have had many careers. I owned a PR agency in Beverly Hills, I did marketing, I was a travel journalist, a women’s empowerment leader. But it wasn’t until I started painting that I found my tribe. I’ve made friends in my 70’s that I’ve just clicked with. We share a common interest, a knowingness, an innate commonality of what it means to express yourself through art. It is a feeling I never knew I would have in a lifetime. And to think it happened in my 70’s!
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