Delys Nast

As a child of an artistic mother and granddaughter of a sculptor, Delys Nast grew up with pastels in one hand and brushes in the other, with the freedom to explore any creative outlet she could imagine, including a career in graphic design. Not afraid to get her fingers muddy with clay or dyed brown from mahogany wood stain, her passion for nature in an expression of creativity has evolved into many diverse skills across several types of media. Painting, woodworking, jewelry, lapidary... this list goes on and on and keeps growing. Pastel is her go to media which gives a beautiful soft texture to any canvas/paper with a myriad of colors available through blending and creative techniques. From artists like Degas to Toulouse-Lautrec and even Picasso, this medium has enjoyed a long history

• SaddleBrooke resident for 3+ years originally from Minnesota 
• Member of the SaddleBrooke Fine Arts Guild, Jewelry and Lapidary, Fiber Arts and Woodcarving.
• Delys sells at both the Arts and Craft Fair and Fine Arts Show and Sale plus she does commission art pieces in both oil and pastel.
  Nast Art Gallery

Renee Pearson-Hospitality Coordinator,  teaches watercolor painting.

Q: What can you tell us about your artistic journey?

A: I always enjoyed art while growing up, so I completed a bachelor’s degree in art at California State University, Hayward. It’s important to paint what I know and enjoy – and to do it often! My work was in galleries in California and Santa Fe, New Mexico. I earned many awards from art associations in those states and in the Tucson area.

Q: How long have you lived in this area?

A: We moved here 12 years ago from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Before that we lived in northern California, where I owned a gallery in Pleasanton. We were drawn to Tucson for the wonderful weather that made it easy to golf year-round. Our casita became my studio.

Q: What is your philosophy about teaching?
A: I feel that everyone who is starting out should learn the basics…then they can go off on their own. I teach one-day classes here at SaddleBrooke, where my students can follow what I’m doing step-by-step to better understand my painting techniques. Most end up with a successful painting, and all students learn some new techniques.

Q: Where can we find your work?

A: In the Fine Art Shows in SaddleBrooke and in the Southern Arizona Watercolor Gallery at the Williams Center on Broadway in Tucson.

Varda Main, a co-founder of the Fiber Arts Club.

Q: What can you tell us about your artistic journey?

A: I don’t ever remember not doing fiber arts! I acquired my early skills in kindergarten, with guidance from my mom and aunt. My love for fiber arts stayed in the background through graduate school, motherhood and my career. Upon retiring in 2007, I started to devote much of time to this art and joined the local fiber art guilds in various communities.

         
Q: How long have you lived in this area?

A: We spent four years in New Mexico, where I fell in love with the Southwest. We found SaddleBrooke in 2018 as we searched for an active, intellectually stimulating community with easy access to hiking. I have a wonderful studio in my home, with sewing machines, accessories, fabric and yarn stashed all around me. It’s my happy place! In 2019, Carol Ann Small and I founded the SaddleBrooke Fiber Arts Club, which continues to grow and is a great source of inspiration and community for me.

Q: What is your philosophy about teaching?

A: I believe that everyone is talented and creative in their own way. The instructor’s role is to help draw that out. There are no mistakes; there are only new design opportunities. In fact, my own design process is organic. My creations evolve as the fabrics, yarns and other fibers speak to me.

Q: What else is interesting or unique about you?

A: My life, so far, has never been dull! I started out as a performing harpsichordist, in which it’s very difficult to make a living. I returned to university as a geology major with a minor in math. After working as a research scientist, my career migrated to intellectual property management and technology licensing.

Q: Where can we find your work?

A: Please contact me at vardamain@live.com to inquire about work that’s for sale. I’m also a member of the Northwest Tucson Art Quilters, the Studio Art Quilt Associates, and the Tucson Quilt Guild.

Linda Nagy-Teaches drawing

Linda has enjoyed sketching and painting since childhood. She grew up in Atlanta, GA where at an early age, she studied watercolor with a local artist. She attended the University of Georgia and graduated with BFA and MFA degrees in graphic design. Her career began at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO where she designed greeting cards in watercolor media.  After returning to Georgia, she worked for several years as a layout artist before establishing a retail and direct marketing business with her husband. She was the art director for 33 years for their nationwide mail-order company.

In the 1990s, Linda re-established her love for painting by attending workshops throughout the US and taking courses in watercolor, and watercolor portraiture. She studied with Jan Kunz, Naomi Brotherton, Judy Wagner, Ann Weaver, and Tony Van Hasselt among others. After retiring from their mail-order business, Linda and her husband, Bernd, moved to Colorado. There Linda was a member of Woman of Watercolor in Summit County, Colorado, and enjoyed sharing ideas and teaching others the art of painting and sketching.

Besides art and photography, Linda and her husband published several Colorado books. Their latest books published in 2019 and 2020 are Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Field Guide, and South Park Colorado History and Heritage. Linda also illustrated a motivational book, If You Tell Me, I Can Fly, that won several book awards.

The rich tapestry of events in Linda’s life influences her work. She travels extensively with her husband throughout the US and the world. Besides residing now in Arizona, she and her husband have another home in the North Georgia mountains where they can be near their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. Linda’s eclectic style is constantly evolving and reflecting new techniques and influences. Color is a strong point that permeates all of her works. She looks forward to painting and sketching with other fellow artists in the Saddlebrooke Fine Arts Guild.

Linda's Gallery