Nancy Pitre (@nancypitre.art) is a delight to watch and an amazing person to know. She is charming, incredibly talented and so full of inspiration. If you've watched her on social media, you know she is an expert in color, and her combinations are stunning. She also is incredibly generous in sharing and teaching her techniques with detailed, step-by-step instruction and recipes, all accessible through her Instagram channel. And her video editing skills... next level!!! We hope you enjoy this touching interview, and be sure to check out her work!
What got you into fluid art?
I have to admit it's a sad story, but one with a happy ending. I've always been passionate about art. When I was young, I spent my weekends drawing and crafting. When I left university, I focused on building my professional career, putting my artistic passion on the back burner.
In 2019, my world turned upside down. Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with cancer. It was the kind of situation that forced me to put things into perspective and reconsider my priorities.
During my convalescence, my family and friends encouraged me to give free rein to my artistic soul. I decided to start painting again and signed up for a 3-hour introductory course in fluid art. I knew immediately that this was the beginning of a great love affair. Fluid art became my life therapy and a means of overcoming what was happening to me. I'm now cancer-free (yay!) and my passion for fluid art keeps growing. 🥰
Where do you get your inspiration?
Everywhere. Seriously....everywhere. Flowers, birds, fish, social media, other artists, etc. Pinterest also offers lots of color palettes. Test it out. Search for "color palette" on Pinterest and see what you find.
What is your favorite part of the process?
My favorite part of the process is when I create the cells by blowing on the paint. That's when I see the fusion and harmony of the colors and can tell whether my piece will be a masterpiece or a total disaster.
Your cells are beautiful. We love watching them come to life! What is your least favorite part of the process?
Definitely the cleaning (🤣). Seriously! Who likes to clean? It's much more fun to create and make a mess. My brain hates cleaning so much that it has a selective interpretation of what it sees. I swear. Here's how it always works: my eyes see a tool to clean, the signal is sent to my brain, and my brain overrides the signal. Result: the next day I find some tools with dried paint or cured resin 🤦🏻♀️
The cleaning is the worst! What advice would you give to new or up and coming artists, other than to avoid the 'brain override'?
It’s hard to find only one advice. So here are mine:
- Respect your skills: There are many fluid art techniques out there. Some are easy and suitable for beginners, while others are much more complex and better suited to experienced artists.
- Don't compare yourself to others: Everyone is unique and learns at a different pace.
- Focus: You can't master everything the first time. Give yourself small, realistic goals and watch your progress over time.
- Practice and don't give up: Many people think that art skills develop at a constant pace. They don't. Many artists will tell you that they have reached different plateaus during their learning process. Many beginners give up when they reach a plateau, thinking they'll never improve again. Practice makes progress.
We love that notion, 'practice makes progress.' Well said!
Check out Nancy's work for more ideas and inspiration:
IG @nancypitre.art