Trenton native creates art on the South Shore

TRENTON – Art has taken Trenton native Nancy MacDonald from the darkroom to the realm of photons and pixels to a South Shore gallery.

She set sail on this journey of creativity in 1991 armed with a BFA in Fine Arts from NSCAD University. Her first stop was at this very newspaper where she worked as a staff photographer in the days of film cameras and darkrooms. Then it was on to California where her software engineer brother introduced her to Photoshop and digital art which was new at the time.

Her BFA, combined with experience from the Center for Electronic Arts in San Francisco, eventually led to the computer game industry where she worked for more than 20 years, mostly at Artech Studios in Ottawa, helping create over 50 games for companies such as Hasbro, Disney, and Atari.

She eventually made her way back to Nova Scotia and settled on the South Shore, working at a Mahone Bay art gallery. The News did a Q and A with MacDonald to learn more about her art and her plans for it.

Q: What have you been doing since you moved back to Nova Scotia?

A: For the past 13 years, I've been working as a freelance graphic designer for clients such as The Moorings Gallery, MacIntyre Purcell Publishing, and the Lunenburg Doc Fest. Recently I began working with the Laurie Swim Gallery in Lunenburg as their marketing and communications coordinator. Over the past few years, I had to take some time off work to deal with a chronic pain condition. The silver lining was that it gave me some time to create more hands-on art with traditional art-making tools, a great form of therapy and a way to keep myself engaged. A drawing of my dog led to a few years of creating commissioned art. During the pandemic, I created a series of bird drawings and small landscapes that are now hanging in the Laurie Swim Gallery.

Q: Can you describe your art style? What is your preferred media to use?

A: My art style has evolved over the years. When I first began working in computer games, I created background paintings for digital animation. Doing this type of work required me to be flexible, creating paintings to match different painting styles for Disney and Hasbro. I also worked on creating texture maps for 3D models and graphics for the game's user interfaces which often had me trying to create realistic images. Over the years I developed a great eye for color and details. Recently, I started working with oil-based colored pencils. Sharp pencils lend themselves to creating fine details and I found myself drawing animals and landscapes that tend to be quite realistic. In my latest work, I've been experimenting with drawing on unique materials such as drafting film and wood panels to create depth and texture. My next goal is to work on trying to loosen up and be more expressive with my art.

Q: Is nature your main subject matter?

A: Growing up in Nova Scotia, surrounded by trees and ocean I developed an appreciation for nature when I was young. We lived next door to Trenton Park, 600 acres of forest, trails, ponds, and critters. I would spend countless hours exploring, fascinated by the landscape. As kids, we also spent a lot of time at the beaches and we always made the trip to Kejimkujik in the summers to camp and canoe. My best memories. I think I was always happier being outside than in and I find that it is very important for me to spend time connecting with nature, especially when I'm feeling stressed. My house sits on seven acres of forest on the LaHave river and I'm still very close to the ocean. I've always carried a camera with me, and I take countless photos during my hikes with my dog to use as reference material. I also feel compelled to share how beautiful this place is on my Instagram feed.

Q: What’s your goal for yourself as an artist? Any shows/exhibits/displays coming up?

A: I had been working as a professional designer for years and feel blessed that most of my jobs have been in a creative field, but I never seemed to have time to make art for myself that I would actually show to the public. During the pandemic, I decided I wanted to start creating a body of work that I could show. I've been making small drawings of the birds that hang out around my windows and some small landscapes. I've had a busy fall transitioning into my new job at the gallery and working in person after working at home for a few years but am planning to work on some larger pieces this winter. I am also working on a way to offer cards and prints of my work for sale. Currently, several of my birds and small landscape drawings are hanging in the Laurie Swim Gallery in Lunenburg.

Q: What do you do in your day job at the gallery?

A: The Laurie Swim Gallery just moved into a spectacular new space in a restored historic building at 25 Cornwallis St. in Lunenburg this fall. I've been helping our gallerist/ manager Joe Wilson update the gallery branding which included redesigning the website and the gallery signs, logos and marketing materials. I also look after social media channels. We just had a very successful Grand reopening event which we had been planning for months. I also work in the gallery, where I get to talk about our Nova Scotia artists with local art collectors and with visitors from all over the world who come to visit Lunenburg.