Nancy Nickey Curran Oil and Pastel Portraiture

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Vintage Satin Show Ribbon

Pastel on Sanded Paper

Monday, May 3, 2010

The Franklin Flood Franklin Tn Portrait of an equestrian pastels and oils

They are calling it the 100 year flood. Nashville was declared a state of emergency. Franklin had a dusk to dawn curfew.

We left Memphis Thursday night for a trip up to Franklin Tn to attend the Brownland Farms horse show. The Harpeth River flows straight through the town and this weekend overflowed.

We knew rain was in the forecast. Liza has ridden in the rain before. Her friend Seymour said Lark, her seasoned pony, was good at "riding through the slop."

The weather was gorgeous on Friday. Liza was there in time to check out the showgrounds and shop at a few vendor booths with friends before tacking up Lark for schooling classes. She won 1st and 2nd Place ribbons and ended up with Reserve Champion. She was all smiles and hopeful for a fun show weekend.

There was a show alright. But not the kind we were expecting!

Severe weather caused Brownland to cancel the weekend activities.

We decided to stay in Franklin rather than go home because Memphis was supposed to be hit much harder. The tornado sirens there were already sounding.

Water was creeping up to the barn and gathering all around us. We never dreamed how much more was to come. At this point the rain was fun and we were glad to have an adventure!

  We took a few pictures and went into Nashville for lunch. We came back to Franklin around 3 PM and the showgrounds were just beginning to flood.

We began to realize as we made our way back to our hotel the situation was getting dangerous. Cars were washing away and backyards were turning into lakes. 120 cars were abandoned on one road alone.

Things were getting out of hand.

Police were beginning to block roads everywhere.

We turned on the tv and the coverage showed the devastation. Nashville was in a state of emergency.
Franklin was just as bad and getting worse.

Saturday night Brownland Farms Security moved the horses several times to stalls on higher ground. The horses needed to be evacuated-quickly.

  Police were allowing only heavy Semi's to move through the closed roads in order to get to the barns.

At 3:00 AM our drivers headed for Memphis after salvaging floating trunks waterlogged gear and wet horses. They were unable to find an open route out of town and after five hours had no choice but to go back to the Franklin Ag Center. They unloaded tired horses at 8 AM.

On Sunday more rain came and waters rose. The Cumberland River was at 50 feet and rising. Downtown began to flood. Churches everywhere were filled to capacity with stranded motorists.

The mayor asked everyone to stay off the roads as they had their hands full with rescues. Many homes were completely flooded. It was a very scary situation. The Opryland hotel was under six feet of water and had to be evacuated. More and more areas were flooding.

Downtown was awash.

On Monday the sun came out again.

We went to Nashville and visited with my son Daivd, who was in the middle of Vanderbilt exams. However they were cancelled due to flooding. What luck!!!!

    What a crazy weekend.

We met up with our fellow weary horseshow travellers at The Germantown Horse Show Fairgrounds. As everyone cleaned and assessed their waterlogged tack each recanted their own tale of the weekend. We all listened to each others stories as we remembered this whole harrowing ordeal of a weekend. Small things seemingly important on Friday suddenly in the wake of such an event didn't matter.

Many equestrians good naturedly bemoaned missing items. Lists were made of needed items for the upcoming show this weekend, "Memphis in May".

After all, The show must go on!

A Pretty Day Friday

We are thankful to be safe.

The flood waters come so quickly they truly take you unaware. It is best never to underestimate Mother Nature.

Early Saturday morning

The Harpeth River rising.

The barn entrance facing Hillsboro Rd --- closed hours later.

The Show Ring

Heading Towards Hillsboro Rd

Franklin

Downtown Nashville

Street near Vanderbilt University

Sunday, April 25, 2010

A Woman Before her Time-Elizabeth Vigee Lebrun

Self Portrait
of Elizabeth

Elizabeth Vigee- Le brun Born: 1755

Truly a woman before her time, this artist lived quite a spectacular life. During a time when most women were restrained from the workplace this pretty woman artist, born a commoner, began painting many members of Europe's royal courts.

She broke all rules of the day for women to became one of the most popular and well known artists of the 18th century.

A revolution, parties, gaiety and royal merrymaking-all the makings for a Hollywood blockbuster. Thus was the the lifestyle Mrs. Le Brun.

Hollywood couldn't make up the story of this woman's life and times.

She was taught by her father who was an artist until his death when she was 12.

At 15 she was contributing significantly towards the family income due to portrait commissions.

Her gender prevented her acess to prestigious art schools.

However her friendship with Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette helped her gain admittance to the notable French Academy

She painted Marie Antoinette at least 25 times.

This association and friendship launched her extraordinary career and caused her to be in great demand by European Royalty. She painted the most exquisite women of French society who were living carefree opulent lifestyles. The French Revolution soon put a damper on things!

Elizabeth was one of the most beautiful and glamourous women in her own right and painted the other members of elegant aristocracy before the violent and terrible revolution.

Elizabeth was afraid for her life due to her close ties to the French monarchs. Desguised as a scullery maid, she and her daughter fled to Italy under cover of darkness. This same night Louis XVI and the Queen were being brought from Versailles to Paris to face the guillotine.

While exiled In Italy she studied great works of art by Michelangelo, Raphael, and Rubens. She continued to be seriously diligent in her pursuit of excellence in art.


She spent several years in Vienna attending society balls and concert halls. Her work there was in constant demand. She continued to be as beautiful and witty as she was talented.

Her popularity exploded.

Rome, Florence, Naples, Vienna and everywhere she traveled, Le Brun was besieged with portrait requests from European aristocracy.

In St. Petersburg Elizabeth was invited to dinners, balls and numerous gay social events in the city. She attended so many social engagements one wonders how she had the time to paint.

Welcomed and honored by the Queen of Prussia, Le Brun painted two portraits of her in pastel.

Elizabeth painted many members of the family of Catherine the Great at the peak of her power and prestige.

In England she painted British notable Lord Byron.

In Switzerland she was made honorary member of Socite pour L'Avancement des Beaux Arts of Geneva.

Her beloved daughter Julie died of pneumonia in 1819.

This amazing mostly self-taught artist overcame remarkable odds during a time of profound social unrest and turmoil in 18th century Europe.

Le Brun has paintings in major museums including The Hermitage, London's National Gallery, and the Louvre in Paris.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

"A Quiet Moment"

Charcoal on Paper

Friday, April 9, 2010

"Cowgirl"

Pastel on Paper

Head and Shoulders

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Dressage

Pastel on Paper

Every Summer for as long as I can remember my family has visited northern Michigan and the quaint town of Harbor Springs on the cool sparkling shores of Lake Michigan.

One of the our favorite things to do is get fudge at a 100 year old store with wonderfully creaky wooden floors and a tall ornate tin ceiling. Visitors can watch as the most delicious chocolate is poured out of huge copper kettles onto cold marble slabs where it is worked with a spatula into fudge which they sell warm and fresh.

In 2008 there was a collection box for Harbor Springs Native, Courtney Cox on the counter.

Donations were to help defray costs for shipping her horse to China in order to participate in the Olympics. We excitedly dropped coins in for this young Michigan athlete.

This pastel is of her in a dressage competition.

Dressage comes from the French word dresser which means "to train". Riders give body signals for their horses to obey and work in precise movements. Dressage, Eventing, and Jumping are the three Oympic Equestrian events.

We are extremely saddened to see Courtney has suffered a serious head injury.

Our prayers go up for her full recovery and we hope to see her ride in the Olympics another day.