Artist Bio
Nila Jane Autry
"One person can make a difference…" JFK
A colleague called me a ‘Beauty Hunter’. Finding my way in this world in which we are all interconnected, woven together with the heavens and the earth and all that lies between, I feel an urgency to paint ‘a visual love letter to the world’ before I pass through the veil.
In addition to many other hats and hobbies, I love being a wife, a mother, a grandmother and an Art Teacher of 30 years in the public school system. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no such thing as a balanced life. It’s controlled chaos all around me and inside of me. Sometime chaos reigns, then control must step up to the plate. Control is diving into the realm of focus, all other cares flee and the creation of the current painting, or project is all consuming. In the zone, that addictive place where I long to stay.
There is great peace in realizing that chaos is inevitable, and within my heart is always an assurance that what I’m trying to express is crucial.
Gratitude for and faith in my amazing support structure of family, friends, and God also grounds me.
A ‘Beauty Hunter’ and ‘Old Fashioned’; these are terms my colleagues have assigned to me, and I embrace them. In standing apart as an Artist, I refuse the modern search to say something weird and new, and long to embolden and emblazon the values and morals of the past deeply into the core of my artwork. I grew up without a clue that I was born to be an artist. It wasn't until my junior year in high school that I took my first art class, and although greatly intimidated by other students in the class, I did my best and found the process thoroughly enjoyable. Today I find and make time to paint, loving every minute of it.
My belief is that we can all be great, we can all put our best foot forward and seek inspiration and guidance from our higher power on a daily basis. One does not need to be perfect to be wonderful.
What I want out of my artistic life is to leave a legacy of faith, determination and courage. I want my art to be collected and treasured by those who seek beauty, peace and fulfillment from the visual images they surround themselves with.
Visual imagery is a language all its own, a method of communication that transcends all language barriers, but has some barriers of its own. What I am trying to communicate with my artistic expressions isn't necessarily what the viewer will feel. Each artwork being observed is understood by a unique individual with your own set of interpreters and carries a different message, perhaps even at different crossroads for the same viewer, like rereading a book and understanding it differently on the reread.
My work is highly idealistic, much like the old masters with an emphasis on eternal themes, using age old techniques, but employing modern tools and supplies. This includes a much brighter color palette, with an old fashioned twist, which I love! I admit, I am an idealist to the core, an artist who cherishes high and noble principles.
“Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.” — Japanese Proverb”
Grantsville, Utah
435-228-8217
nilajaneautry@nilajaneautry.com
nilajaneautry.com
jane-autry.artistwebsites.com (prints)