About Me

Hello everyone and welcome to Nivan Art!  My name is Nancy Ivan from St.Thomas, Ontario, Canada, and I’ve always enjoyed “dabbling” in the arts.  Be it visual arts such as drawing or painting, or music, I’ve always felt the arts have a connection to my soul.  But honestly, I’m sure it is the same for everyone.  Art has a way of speaking to our emotions.  It can bring us peace and calmness and emotionally release in challenging times, or motivate and inspire us to think outside the box and let our imagination run wild and be free to “dance like no one’s watching”.

My Painting Journey

My first endeavour into the world of painting (beyond kindergarden finger paintings) was one of those lovely paint night events many years ago. Of course, this was just a fun evening out with my husband for a chance to play with paint and have some laughs, but it sparked an interest. Soon after, we signed up for a slightly more serious 6-week evening course in acrylic painting at a community centre, where I painted my “Duckling Ripples” piece (see below) and was bitten by the “art bug“.  I continued playing with acrylics, making paintings as gifts for family and friends for just under a year until real life demanded my attention and my art supplies were packed away.

Fast forward to October 2021… I had been watching a variety of random YouTube videos late one night when I noticed one on a watercolour tutorial and thought I’d have a look.  Next thing I know, I was watching another and another.  Something about the way the water and pigments moved on the paper fascinated me.  Then I remembered I had one of those mixed media “artist” kits stashed away in the basement and, lo’ and behold, it included tubes of watercolour paint and paper!  And so began my watercolour journey the very next day and I was hooked. It became an addiction – painting something every day, watching tutorials for information on techniques and supplies, and eventually, painting my own original paintings from photos.  I have been on my watercolour journey for 3 years now and loving the creative release and enjoyment it gives me. 

There is so much more for me to learn.  I have a hard time calling myself an artist, regardless of what family members and friends say (they have to say nice things, right?).  But I will say I am an art enthusiast, passionate about art in all it’s forms.

So please feel free to browse around and I hope you enjoy your visit!