Blog

Vision Statement: Who I am as an artist, accepting the fact that I am an idealist with lofty goals and unrealistic expectations puts me in the line of fire of cynics and realists. My intention is to avoid their attacks by embracing my idealistic self and continuing on my journey to illustrate perfection. Don’t kid yourself..we all desire greatness. And 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.

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 interpreted by a unique individual with their 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.

I’m looking for you, kindred spirit. One with whom to communicate on a visual level, all depths of reverence and beauty.

Old 20 sec blurb: I paint exquisite portraits of dolls and flowers. I want you to feel what I feel as I paint, a reverence for the beauties of the earth and an awareness of humanities personal search for perfection. With my art I want to melt your heart.

New 20 sec blurb: I'm a professional artist working mostly on commissioned portraits in oil. When I am not painting a commission I paint exquisite portraits of dolls and flowers. I want you to feel what I feel as I paint, a reverence for the beauties of the earth and an awareness of humanities personal search for perfection.

I also love to paint religious edifices, such as Temples, churches and the like. My work is highly idealistic, much like the old masters with an emphasis on eternal themes. I am an idealist to the core, an artist who cherishes high and noble principles. With my art I want to enlarge, soften and enlighten your heart. Ah-Hah! Awe....."One person can make a difference..." JFK

“Look what I can do Mommy!”
--by Nila Jane Thurber Autry
June 9, 2013
Why do I feel compelled to do art? One day in casual conversation I mentioned to my daughter April, that I couldn’t die too young, I had way too many paintings I needed to paint. I didn’t think anything of the comment until I saw the look on her face. Incredulous is how I would describe her expression. And I wondered what compels me to plan my life creating windows of time that allow me to spend a couple of hours every day painting.
I’m a mother of six, grandmother of 8. I have a wonderful husband who lets me do all the housework, cooking, cleaning, bills, shopping, make and go to appointments, make phone calls and make sure his sore back is rubbed out, (truth be told, the sore back is chronic and severe, that’s why he lets me do so much of the work in running a household and family). I also need to look pretty any time I go out, and keep up the yard and garden. I have the great blessing of being married to a man that loves and adores me. I am blessed more than many other ladies I know, so many are single, desperate and lonely. I’m not cursed with any of those maladies. I am blessed with good health and an over ambitious nature. No matter what I do with my life I will always be too busy, so I plan every day carefully in order to make time for the calm and focus that painting and drawing gives me.
I have taught art at the high school and college level for over 20 years. I love seeing students come alive as they get to the ‘aha’ stage, “Wow, look what I did!” That moment of amazement is still very real for me. “Look what I can do Mommy!” a child says as they learn. I still experience that wonder of discovery. The technical skill, the creativity and the idea or concept I synthesize through painting adds an adult dimension that takes my art to the level of communication that transcends and crosses communication barriers, language differences, religious beliefs, political agendas, and cynicism.
It’s what I have the need to communicate that keeps me painting realistically, and emotionally. I love color, I love the beauties of the earth, I love a good portrait, and I am so happy when I can paint what I feel and see in my heart. I want my art to communicate my belief in God. I want to make others feel what I feel when I see a flower with sunlight shining through it, or a person’s face with life and spirit glowing through the paint. I would like my paintings to be described as intimate, exquisite and lifelike. That’s my intention with every painting I do. A spot of color, a touch of heaven.
I often feel like I am ever learning and coming short of the intensity or glory I what to depict in my paintings. There must be a balance between soft and striking, quiet and inspiring, muted colors and intense color notes. Every painting needs to surprise and delight. As I mentioned, I fall short but I keep trying.
Every painting is a testimony. “Cast the dark veil of unbelief from before your eyes.” Notice, notice, notice the glory of the beauties God has created! I’m screaming it! How can anyone not look around and believe in God?
So many worry and stew about the difficulties of life, and fuss and whine and accentuate the negative, the difficult, and the desperation around them. In doing so it only grows worse.
Look, see, believe!
I love life. It is glorious and wonderful. There is never enough time in a day to do all that I want to do. I’m so thankful I believe in a God who has given purpose and meaning to my life through art. I’m so thankful to believe in life after death. I think there will be artists, architects, musicians, and builders in heaven. I believe heaven will be here on this earth and will be very much like what we are familiar with here. We just won’t get tired and sick…ever! Now, that would be heaven! We will keep learning and growing. We will better understand our purpose. We will never stop giving. We must never stop giving. For that is truly true happiness. Through my art I give the world my testimony, not only of the stories of Jesus, but of the glories of the world we live in. I love this glorious world!

If only...famous unnecessary words and feelings. If only I'd paid more attention to her silent cries of desperation. If only. What's done is done. Do you think she is beautiful?

I've told stories to my students about Vincent van Gogh for several years. When I get to the part that he shot himself, and refused medical help I always get a bit teary eyed, but when I tell them that his sister in law marketed his work after he died I really get choked up. It wasn't until my daughter took her own life with a gun that I understood where the depth of conviction to market his work and share it with the world came from. Cami did a series of self portraits that spanned her brief lifetime. I wish to share them with the world. She was a very sweet, quiet girl, a bit tormented similar to van Gogh. She took life too seriously but had a very silly side that always made everyone around her giggle. Those who gave Cami a chance loved her deeply, but she never believed them. She was always amazed and incredulous when people expressed their love and admiration for her. Depression was ever present in her life. I hope to do for Cami what Van Gogh's sister-in-law did for him.

I learned at a marketing meeting last night that 50% of your time should be spent marketing your work...I guess I have some work to do. Blogging is also a bit new to me, it feels like a public journal entry.

Right now I am finishing up a still life of a doll I named Jenessa. She is painted with a beautiful blue glass vase and a glass butterfly with red roses on her dress, in her hair, and other touches of red. Most of the time I really love this painting. But sometimes, it seems ordinary...I wonder if all artists feel that way about their work?

I'm also trying very hard to develop enough self discipline to finish each painting before I go on to the next one. I have a bad habit of getting a new idea when I am at the hardest part of a current painting, and putting aside an almost finished painting to start the new one. Makes for a lot of unfinished work!

I love what I do, even though 90% of my ideas get neglected because there is not enough time to complete them. Hopefully the most exciting ones will resurface, and still be grand!

Oh, how I wish I was in my studio painting...but I don't have room on my walls for all the paintings I continue to create, so I need to get them out there, and market them. I'm working on another doll still life that I'm almost finished with...can't wait to share it. Like most artists, I'm sure you feel that your current work is your most exciting. Watch for it!