About Nancy Newman
Nancy Newman is an award winning artist and teacher, living in Aurora, Ontario, Canada
Nancy is an artist, teacher and juror. She is a Director and Past-President of the Toronto Watercolour Society (TWS), and is currently the acting Show Coordinator. She is proud to be a Signature Member (Silver Level) of TWS. Nancy is the Past President of the Society of York Region Artists (SOYRA). She has just been juried into the Federation of Canadian Artists with Exhibiting Artist Membership. Nancy is also a member of IWS Canada, ECOAA and Associate Member of the CSPWC.
Nancy has exhibited her work in many solo shows and juried group shows including TWS Aquavision, International Watercolour Society Canada (IWS), Society of Canadian Artists, Art Aurora, Society of York Region Artists (SOYRA), and Blue Mountain Foundation of the Arts (BMFA). She has received several First Place, Honourable Mention and People’s Choice Awards.
Nancy is a highly regarded instructor and arts advocate. She is a guest instructor for many art societies such as the Toronto Watercolour Society, Banbury Group of Artists, the Barrie Art Club, the Don Valley Art Club and the Society of York Region Artists.
She has conducted workshops and taught regular sessions of classes at the Aurora Cultural Centre. Nancy has been an instructor at Nipissing University where she taught Visual Art Specialist courses. She has led week long plein air workshops for the Blue Mountain School of Landscape Painting and has taught at the Haliburton School of Art and Design for many years. In response to COVID 19, Nancy has been conducting Zoom watercolour workshops for several different groups.
Photo Credit: Glenn Rodger
Artist CV:
ARTS EDUCATION:
Courses:
Haliburton School of the Arts 1997 – 2005
Visual Arts Specialist Nipissing University, 2004
Workshops: David McEown,Gordon MacKenzie, Karin Isenburg , Brian Atyeo, William Rogers, Stephen Quiller, Alvaro Castegnet, Jean Pederson, Linda Kemp, Sterling Edwards, Tom Lynch, Karen Vernon, Margaret Roseman, Pauline Holancin, Barry Coombs, Art Cunanan, Jake Mol, Sergey Malina, John David Anderson, Antanur Dogan, Frank Eber, Joel Popadics, Birgit O’Connor
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
Skylight Gallery, Aurora: 2024, 2022, 2018, 2015, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2004, 2002
McAlpine Gallery 2014
Colleen Abbott Gallery, Aurora, 2011
Everything Chocolate, Newmarket, 2008
Georgina Arts Centre and Gallery, 2002
Southlake Link Gallery, 2002
JURIED EXHIBITIONS:
Federation of Canadian Artists, Toronto Chapter Spring and Fall 2025, 2024
Toronto Watercolour Society (TWS) Aquavision, Toronto, 2006-2025
Town of Aurora Annual Exhibition 2001-2025
Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) Open International Juried Exhibition 2023, 2021
Newmarket Annual Exhibition 2025
East Central Ontario Art Association (ECOAA), Annual Members Exhibition 2025, 2024, 2021,
International Watercolour Society (IWS Canada) Symphony in Watercolour 2018
International Watercolour Society (IWS Canada) 2017
Richmond Hill Group of Artists (RHGA) Open Juried Show 2017
Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) Water Reflections 2017
Society of York Region Artists (SOYRA), 2001 – 2024
Blue Mountain Foundation of the Arts (BMFA) 2024, 2022, 2014
NON-JURIED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
IWS Canada, Virtual Exhibition 2024, 2022, 2021, 2020
Connections, Aurora Online Art Show 2021
TWS Spring 2025, 2020, 2019, 2017
Art Heals, Aurora Cultural Centre 2017
Six Degrees of Freedom, 2018, 2017, 2015
BMFA, 2018, 2013, 2014
GBACA Outside In Show at the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts 2012
Creativity and Diversity, Richmond Hill Performing Arts Centre 2009
Creative Spirit 2009 – 2011 at the Sharon Temple
Railside Gallery Haliburton Instructors Exhibit 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014
Artlinks Education Centre Aurora and Skylight Gallery Aurora 2002
Neilson Park Creative Centre Instructors Shows
Sunnybrook Hospital Art Gallery. FCA 2026, TWS 2025
ART SHOWS and OTHER EXHIBITIONS:
Haliburton School of the Arts Instructors Auction 2007 – 2018
Markham Art in the Park, 2005, 2004
Vaughan Art in the Park, 2005
Artist Walk Series, Village at Blue Mountain 2007, 2006
Collingwood Art in the Park 2006, 2005, 2004
AWARDS:
Silver Signature Membership, Toronto Watercolour Society (25 + Juried Art Shows)
Dorothy Blefgen Award for Best Use of Colour, TWS Fall Aquavision 2025
Honourable Mention Federation of Canadian Artists, Toronto Chapter Fall 2024
Bruce Snell Award, Best Use of Transparent Watercolour, TWS Spring Aquavision 2024, 2021
Award of Merit TWS Aquavision 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021
Honourable Mention Town of Aurora Annual Show 2024
First Place Watercolour, Art Aurora 2023, 2022
Bronze Medal, TWS Fall Aquavision 2022 Juried Show
Bronze Medal Award TWS Aquavision Fall 2008
1st Place SOYRA Fall Show 2022
1st Place Watercolours SOYRA 2019, 2018, 2014, 2011, 2008, 2001
Award of Merit TWS Aquavision 2024, 2023,2021
Bruce Snell Award, Best Use of Transparent Watercolour, TWS Spring Aquavision 2024,2021
Honourable Mention, TWS Aquavision 2023, 2019
Finalist, International Watercolour Society Canada, Symphony in Watercolour 2018
Finalist, International Watercolour Society Canada 150. 2017
Honourable Mention, Art Aurora, 2024, 2018, 2014, 2001
Honourable Mention, SOYRA, 2013, 2012, 2009, 2006, 2005, 2003
People’s Choice Award TWS Spring Aquavision 2022, 2014, 2011
People’s Choice Award, Society of York Region Artists 2013, 2010 (Spring & Fall), 2006 (Spring), 2006 (Fall), 2005, 2001
REVIEWS / MEDIA:
The Art of Watercolour Magazine, featured artist, 60th edition
Canadian Watercolour IWS Canada Issue #3 Featured Artist 2021
Leisure Painter Magazine, U.K.
Daytime TV, York Region, featured guest, 2014
Georgian Bay Arts TV, featured guest, 2014
Feature Article, Era Banner Newspaper
Daytime TV, featured Guest, York Region and Collingwood
PROFESSIONAL AFFLILIATIONS:
Toronto Watercolour Society, Silver Level Signature Membership
International Watercolour Society, Canada
Society of York Region Artists, Past President
Federation of Canadian Artists Exhibiting Artist
East Central Ontario Art Association,
Blue Mountain Foundation of the Arts
Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, Associate Member
PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP
Toronto Watercolour Society, Co-President 2022-2023, Director 2019 – 2029, Show Coordinator 2022-2025
Toronto Watercolour Society, President 2010-2012, Past President 2012-2016,
Society of York Region Artists, Past President 2008-2014
Haliburton School of Art and Design (HSAD), Instructor, 2006 – 2026
Loyalist College Summer Arts Program, 2025 – 2026
Aurora Cultural Centre, Instructor
Art in Education National Symposium, Presenter
Nipissing University, Additional Qualifications for Teachers, Visual Arts Specialists, Instructor
Arts and Literacy Workshops York Region District School Board, presenter
Curriculum Writing, Visual Arts Integrated Units, YRDSB and Ministry of Education, Ontario
Barrie Art Club Zoom Workshop Instructor
South Simcoe Group of Artists, Guest Instructor
Blue Mountain School of Landscape Painting, (BMSLP) Instructor 2017, 2016, 2015
Willowdale Group of Artists, (Banbury) Guest Instructor, ongoing
Town of Aurora, Instructor, Drawing and Watercolour
Lambeth Art Association, Guest Instructor
London Palette Club, Guest Instructor
Clarkson Society of Artists, Guest Instructor
Marsh Street Artists, Clarksburg, Guest Instructor
St. George Artist Group, Guest Instructor
Don Valley Art Club, Guest Instructor
Scarborough Art Guild Guest Instructor
Niagara-on-the-Lake Pumphouse Art Club, Presenter
Niagara Parkway Artists, Guest Instructor
Richmond Hill Group of Artists, Guest Instructor
Neilson Park Creative Centre, Workshop Instructor
JUROR: Various shows including:
Town of Aurora 62nd Art Exhibition and Sale, 2026
Barrie Art Club at the Town Hall, 2026
Art Society King, December 2025
Arts on Main, South Simcoe Arts Council, 2025
Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts 2017
East Gwillimbury Group of Artists 2016, 2018
BMFA Annual Juried Show 2015
Town of Aurora Youth Annual Show
Artcures, Aurora Cultural Centre
Markham Fair Art Show 2017
Artist Statement
As an artist, I create work that celebrates the connections in life, through common experiences, or our shared history. We connect to places, life events and to natural elements. Subject matter appeals to me when those connections exist. I associate the unique colour and play of light on particular flowers with the experience of that place…irises in Van Gogh’s garden at St. Remy, roses at the Pitti Palace in Florence, or a peony in Marie Antoinette’s Garden at Versailles.
Landscape paintings, both expansive and closer focused views, reflect the connections I have made to a place through its people, culture and history. A particular challenge exists for each individual work. It might be capturing the time of day, the contrast in atmospheric perspective, the variety of colour or contrast within a limited set of colours, or the “ingredients” of a particular location. An Irish landscape ties me to my ancestral roots, and include those iconic ingredients of green grasses, sheep, rock walls, wild coastal formations, traditional houses, and more sheep. This emotional connection makes the creative process effective, providing the energy and motivation to complete the work.
My preferred medium of watercolour challenges me to capture the subject matter with glowing transparency, a mingling of colours when wet and layers of glazing. The elements of colour and the use negative space are often used to create the desired effect. I feel my work is successful when it sparks a memory or emotional connection to the subject.