Nan Phelps

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Nan Phelps
Born
Nannie Dorothea Hinkle

(1904-08-25)August 25, 1904
London, Kentucky
United States
DiedJanuary 17, 1990(1990-01-17) (aged 85)
Hamilton, Ohio
United States
NationalityAmerican
EducationSelf Taught
Known forPainting
Notable workGrandma Weaver
Winter in Old Kentucky
Boulder Canyon Falls
MovementAmerican Folk Art

Nan Phelps (née Hinkle; August 25, 1904 – January 17, 1990), was an American

folk artist from London, Kentucky. Phelps’ work has often been compared to that of the more famous Grandma Moses
in both style and subject matter.

Biography

Phelps was born in Lily,

watercolors
and paper. In 1922 Phelps moved from Kentucky to Hamilton, Ohio. Through the difficult depression years, child-rearing, a divorce, remarriage and rearing a family of five children she continued her painting. It was during this time that Phelps began primarily using oil paints. In the 1930s Phelps’ work was exhibited at the nearby Cincinnati Art Museum and in local arts and crafts shows. As the winner of a local talent show in 1940, Phelps won a scholarship to attend the Art Academy of Cincinnati. In the 1950s Phelps traveled to New York City with a sample of her work in order to increase her exposure in the art world. During this visit, Phelps’ work gained the attention of
Embassies in West Germany, Finland, and Denmark.[5] Phelps’ painting Riverfront Stadium: Phillies and Reds was featured prominently on the front cover of A People and a Nation[6] and during the “Feelin’ in Love” segment of David Letterman’s Second Holiday Film Festival which aired in 1986.[7]
Phelps died in early 1990 at age 85. She continued to paint up until her admittance to the hospital in late 1989. During the short hospital stay before her death, Phelps requested her paint brushes in order to paint, though she was not physically able. Some of the last words she spoke as she looked out the hospital window were “I wish I could paint those clouds”.[8]

Paintings

Phelps was a prolific painter. She worked continuously for over sixty years, producing in excess of 1000 paintings.

portraits. Her portraits primarily consisted of family members, especially her grandchildren. Some are reminiscent of the work of itinerant 19th century portrait painters, but the similarities are superficial. While they share the romantic charm characteristic of the Limner portraits, Phelps’ subjects were set in context that demonstrates an intimacy that the oft-repeated backdrops of those earlier paintings lacked. According to the curator of the Kentucky Folk Art Center
Adrian Swain,

“Her subject matter was eclectic, including landscapes, still life, western scenes and historic figures. Some of these paintings are reminiscent of the work of itinerant 19th century portrait painters. Yet the number and variety of setting in which she depicted various specific family members underscores Nan Phelps’ need to paint, her need to tell the story of her life while improvising the context, often humorous, in which she set her human subjects. She had a natural sense of form, color and design”[8]

Phelps paintings not only varied in subject matter they also varied greatly in size and media. She produced paintings that ranged in size from 1” by 1” miniatures to 6’ by 17’

murals. Additionally, Phelps would paint not only upon canvas
but also on natural objects such as seashells and rocks. Phelps works continue to be displayed in galleries, churches, museums, embassies, and private residences throughout the world.

Selected works

  • The Birth of Baby Jesus (1950)
    The Birth of Baby Jesus (1950)
  • Birds on a Wire (1978)
    Birds on a Wire (1978)
  • Flowers in a Blue Vase (1975)
    Flowers in a Blue Vase (1975)

Exhibitions and collections

Selected exhibitions (Solo)

  • March 7 – June 13, 1999 – Kentucky Folk Art Center, Morehead, Kentucky. The Paintings of Nan Phelps.
  • November 6 – November 20 – Jay Johnson America’s Folk Heritage Gallery. Nan Phelps.

Selected exhibitions (Group)

  • September 15–30, 1970 – Galerie Paula Insel, New York, New York
  • January 1–25, 1974 – The Copley Society of Art, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • June 8–9, 1975 – Lynn Kottler Galleries, New York, New York
  • January 1982 – Galerie St. Etienne, New York, New York
  • March 29 - April 11, 1989 - Daimaru Museum, Kyoto, Japan
  • May 13 – September 1990 – Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio

Permanent museum collections

  • Museum of American Folk Art
    , New York, New York
  • Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • The Henry Ford Art Collection, Detroit, Michigan
  • Kentucky Folk Art Center
  • New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Roosevelt University, Chicago, Illinois
  • Cumberland Valley Art Gallery, London, Kentucky

See also

References

  1. ^ Hinkle, John (1953) I Saw my Savior. Pageant Press, New York, New York.
  2. ^ Holthaus, David “Solo exhibition showcases a remarkable artist.” The Cincinnati Post. Monday, May 10, 1999.
  3. ^ Kallir, Otto (1973) Grandma Moses. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, New York.
  4. ^ Kallir, Jane (1989) Masters of Naïve Art. Daimaru Museum, Kyoto, Japan.
  5. ^ Russell, Emily (Ed.), (2001) Gift to the Nation. Friends of Art and Preservation in Embassies. Washington D.C.
  6. ^ Norton, Mary; Katzman, David; Escott, Paul et al. (1991). A People and a Nation: A History of the United States. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, Massachusetts.
  7. ^ "David Letterman in "Feelin' in Love" - YouTube". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2019-12-07.
  8. ^ a b Eaton, Ercel “Gone – Never forgotten: Artist’s work appreciated worldwide.” Hamilton Journal – News. Sunday, March 28, 1999, Page D1.
  9. ^ Kentucky Folk Art Center. (1999) The Paintings of Nan Phelps [Brochure]. Morehead, Kentucky.
  10. ^ “Call Her Nan but not Naïve.” New York Post. January 2, 1982.

External links

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