My earliest champions are the abstract expressionists. When I first experienced the work of artists like Frankenthaler, Krasner, Pollock and Motherwell, I had a pure and visceral response. These works with their raw emotional power and focus on gesture made abstraction completely comprehensible to me. This was a pivotal discovery.

The opportunity to study the works of established artists like Kikuo Saito, John Griefen and Dan Christensen opened my world to continued investigation and enabled me to trust my process. The final product was no longer the only motivator. Understanding how the variables of  color, composition and scale became the essence of my work.

I learned that my pursuit of painting has to be unencumbered by existing formulas for making art and a faith in the experience that lead to each completed work.

Nancy Bergman Pantirer