Local painter shares her ‘One Fine Day’ on Gold Pages cover

South Windsor artist Nancy J. McIntire with ‘One Fine Day.’ A section of the 12-by-24-inch oil painting appears on the cover of the new Reminder Gold Pages. Courtesy photo.

When South Windsor artist Nancy J. McIntire set up her canvas and oil paints at the town’s Wapping Park last June, she had not intended to stay for long. The sun was blazing in the 100-degree weather, and she did not have a painter’s umbrella to shade her. But as the day unfolded, inspiration triumphed over perspiration. Butterflies hovered above the clover in the fields, red-winged blackbirds darted amongst the trees, and, mesmerized as she was by the glorious day and the colorful images all around her, the artist’s brush just kept moving.

About six hours later, McIntire was well on her way to completing the piece she would call “One Fine Day” – a fitting name for the experience she had during its creation. “It was a gorgeous day, and I was standing in the middle of it all,” she said.

“One Fine Day” graces the cover of the Reminder Gold Pages’ new Manchester/Vernon/South Windsor/Stafford directory, which is now being distributed to area homes and businesses.

A love of painting is something that began early for the artist. “The first time I stood in front of an easel in kindergarten, I was hooked,” she said. McIntire went back to school to study visual arts at Manchester Community College when she was in her mid-30s, to “do what I always wanted to do,” she said. McIntire now considers herself lucky to be able to pursue her passion. “If I’m not painting, I’m preparing a canvas or out looking at art,” she said.

McIntire looks forward to having her work seen by everyone who receives and uses the Reminder Gold Pages directory. “The skies are the things that people seem to be attracted to in my paintings,” she said. “It’s always great to hear what other people have to say.”

McIntire’s artwork can be seen at the Lyme Art Association, the Autumn Light Studio and Gallery in Avon, and the South Windsor Public Library. She had a piece accepted into the National Arts Program exhibition at Capital Community College, which opened Jan. 23. McIntire is also one of the member/artists of the co-operative Maple and Main Gallery of Fine Art in Chester, which is hosting an opening party for its new Winter Show on Friday, Feb. 3.

For more information, to see a portfolio of McIntire’s work, or to contact the artist directly, visit the website www.nancymcintire.com.