Nancy Staub Laughlin

"My assemblages: pastels and photographs, are created by layering juxtaposing elements: nature vs. glitter. The viewer enters my glowing world of color, light, dimension and beauty."

The Equation of Sparkle

The Light and Sparkle of Winter

Nancy Staub Laughlin is an accomplished highly imaginative artist who brings a new contemporary concept to the genre of still life. She composes pastel drawings and photographs to create dynamic assemblages that are rich in texture and color. She is represented in numerous, collections, museums and galleries throughout the northeast.


​Tell us about yourself and your background.
I have been creative as long as I can remember. As a child, I was always doing ”projects” of some sort that involved creative thinking. I did have an art teacher in 7th grade named Mr. Cooper. He was great! I made a six foot hotdog with the roll out of chicken wire and plaster cloth. I painted it to look real with mustard and ketchup. It was an attempt to be the new Claus Oldenburg at the age of 11. I have been a career artist since my early twenties. I have a BFA from Moore College of Art, Philadelphia, PA and upon graduation a two year apprenticeship at the Johnson Atelier School of Technical Sculpture. At the Atelier, I did some commissions for Henry Heide candy company doing facsimiles of some of their Juicy Fruits made out of transparent resin. This started my obsession with glow and hence, paired with sparkle and light. I was born to be an artist… period.

In the Midst of the Flurry

Sprinkling of Spring Sparkle

Tell us about your work and why it is unique.
My assemblages: pastels and photographs, are created by layering juxtaposing elements: nature vs. ​glitter. The viewer enters my glowing world of color, light, dimension and beauty. I create these stills by combining the elements: ie. photographs of the landscape in seasons and detailed photographs of glowing or glittering moments. The paralleling objects are added to accentuate these phenomenas. These compelling compositions are the culmination of many carefully executed steps that define my unique creative process. The common review,” I have never seen anything like Nancy’s work”.
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What are your sources of inspiration?
No matter where I am, I am drawn to sparkle, glow, light and shadows.I see the world in a different way than most people. I have an intuition to find glow and sparkle 24/7. In my drawings, I use my fascination of “sparkle and glow” and combine nature vs. glitter to put it simply. The kinetic aspect of each drawing brings the viewers eye around the drawing like “connect the dots”. The key is to capture and execute the landscape and the baubles artistically so the viewer can enter my beautiful world I have created. Curator, Ingrid Fox, wrote of my work as "Objects are added or subtracted and the end result creates an effervescence, sparkle and glow, which makes the inanimate come alive and brings all elements together as one." and Kate Somers, a curator at Princeton University described my work as individualized and described me as an “alchemist".

The Color of Snow

Shimmering Fall

"The key is to capture and execute the landscape and the baubles artistically so the viewer can enter my beautiful world I have created."

Tell us about some of your achievements .
My most memorable highlight was being reviewed by Sam Hunter, Art Critic and Historian of Modern and Contemporary Art who found my work “refreshingly unique”. This has been a common theme among many positive reviews. I offer a “different” approach and passion to drawing. "Nancy is consistent in her vision…one can always recognize her signature style no matter how much she has changed or grown.” Sam used the words “a demanding vision that rewards the viewer gloriously and dynamically”. I have stayed true to my unique self. I have also been recognized and honored in New Jersey where I had a one- person exhibit at the New Jersey State Museum along with being included in the permanent collection. I was also honored by Secretary of State, Nina Mitchell Wells (under Corzine) with a solo exhibit at the State House of New Jersey.

​What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about sparkle and manage to find it in the most obscure moments. I love that my family and friends know me so well, that all presents involve sparkle in some fashion. I am passionate about being creative. My creativity extends to everything... I am a needlepointer, (I do a fire screen of each series). Each one takes 4-5 years. I am also an avid gardener where my gardens are in the Archives of the Smithsonian Gardens of America. I am creative in whatever I do and strive for creative perfection and love every minute!

Glowing Light Amongst the Pink

"I am creative in whatever I do and strive for creative perfection and love every minute!"
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Golden Sprinkle

Sprinkling of Glow and Flurries

​Share with us some project back-stories.
In my previous series my pastel drawings emerged from my self- photographed unique assemblages or “simulated still life’s”. These photographs were an important part of the process and were a separate ​recognized body of work. One day, I had a brainstorm and thought to combine them to add another layer and dimension. The photograph is mounted on foam core to add the 3D effect. I actually draw shadows to make pop even more. In art school, I actually was a sculpture major. I try to have many dimensions in my drawings to bring the viewer right in.

How do you approach working on new projects?
I am always working on new works that evolve from the previous. I like to be prepared for exhibition possibilities at all times. When I am not creating, I am working on the “business” end. We all wish it was like the movies where you are ”discovered”. I stick to the 10,000 hour theory…this is where passion about what you do comes in! I keep plugging away. My goal is to exhibit every two years.
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Twinkle, Flurry and Glow

The Mist and the Glowing Lights

"I am always working on new works that evolve from the previous. I like to be prepared for exhibition possibilities at all times."

Nancy Staub Laughlin

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​Tell us about where you are based and how it influences your work.
I am based in Princeton, New Jersey. I am not limited to New Jersey for exhibitions. I am with the Carter Burden Gallery in New York City. I am from Connecticut originally so try to have a presence in New England.

How do you feel about art and its role in the world?
With all the social media , an excellent way to see work all over the world, you are also exposed to so much more, good and bad. I love instagram for following galleries, museums, artists, etc. I look for talent. I may not love what I see, but if it shows creativity and talent, I will click on the heart. Let’s say I'm not clicking all the time…

​How you want your art to affect the viewer?
My work captures the viewer and takes one on a scenic tour of my perceptive world. The audience is seeing through my eyes. I want people to leave my exhibition and, first go “WOW”! I want them to leave knowing who I am and what my mission is. I want them to say, “she is unique and stays true to her talent” and I need one of these!


www.nancystaublaughlin.com
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"I want people to leave my exhibition and, first go “WOW”!I want them to leave knowing who I am and what my mission is."