WAUPUN — Watercolors from Markesan artist Nancy Kirst are on display in the art gallery at the Waupun Public Library.
An artist’s reception was held Thursday, June 25 at 6PM for the artist to show off her works, consisting of photorealistic watercolors and pencil drawings. The art has been on display since June 12.
“When I first started I was a pencil artist,” Kirst said, “I really liked the safety of having an eraser because watercolor is transparent, and it’s hard to cover a mistake. So it was kind of a safety net I lost, but working with the transparent color of watercolor is very rewarding.”
Kirst lives in Markesan and is currently retired after working at Horicon Bank of Green Lake for 44 years.
She said she has been doing art for over 35 years, and she got into painting watercolor from a class at Moraine Park Technical College.
“A couple friends and I just wanted to get out of the house because our kids were little and we wanted to do something,” she said. “And we all kind of had an interest in art in high school and so forth, and we saw that Moraine Park had a watercolor class available. We were really looking for a drawing class but there wasn’t one offered, so we took the watercolor class. And I always say that it’s a bit of a fluke because it changed the whole trajectory of my life, because, as you can see, I’m a lot about painting and a lot about art.”
Kirst pointed out one piece on display as one she was particularly fond of, titled “She’s Got a Way About Her” depicting a woman looking at the viewer putting up her hair with a hairtie.
“I enjoyed working on it, but the Transparent Watercolor Society only accepts really good artists, and it’s really hard to break into that show,” Kirst said. “So, for years, I had sent my entry and gotten a nice little rejection letter every time—and then I entered this, and I got this lovely letter that I was invited to be a part of the show.”
“So that was kind of a feather in my cap, because the best of the best are in one show,” she said. I don’t want to overstate because I’m not them—I don’t get in every year. It was kind of a bucket list thing, and I was just humbled to be a part of a group of really great artists.”
This, and another 22 of her works, will be on display on the second floor of the Waupun Public Library until August 21.
“I consider it a blessing to be able to make art because it’s added a richness to my life that much, and I thank God for giving me that ability” she said. “I’ve met so many nice people through art and, honestly, it’s hard for me to imagine not thinking about what I’m going to make next, you know, what do people who don’t make stuff think about?”
The Waupun Fine Arts Committee is always looking for artists to display at the Waupun Public Library in their rotating gallery. Next month, they will be hosting the Concerts in the Park every Thursday evening in July, followed by the Fine Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday, August 1st.
