Nina Bellucci

Nina Bellucci tells us about pouring paint, playing punk music, and parenting with one foot in the studio and the other in the woods.

Where are you from, and where do you reside?

I was born and raised in sunny Florida; after moving to Boston for graduate school, my husband and I decided to stay and raise a family. We currently live in Newton, Massachusetts, and I’ve worked in a studio in Waltham for the last seven years.

Describe a typical day in the studio for you.

Currently, I am getting to the studio 2-3 days per week. I like to begin the workday mid-morning, after I drop the kids at school and I’ve had time to take the dog for a walk, to exercise, and to clear my head. I often enter the studio with a big sigh of relief that I’ve made it there and a feeling of gratefulness for my own space. I usually go to the piece I had been working on the last time I was there to see how I respond - to see if it still holds. Then I’ll check in with whatever else I have in progress. I’m often working on multiple pieces at once, and consciously leave things in various stages of completion so that I always have something “almost done”, something “in the works”, and another few “possible beginnings” lying around the studio. I may decide to work on one of these pieces, but if I’m unsure about what to do next, I try to recognize that I need time to step back and to reflect upon what I am doing. Ultimately, I like to feel productive with my time, since I don’t have nearly as many hours in the studio as I’d like. So, I do spend a lot of time creating beginning layers like gel-prints or large pieces of stained canvas to be used in future pieces. This process is so freeing and easy, and it allows me to play with color, texture, and shape without the pressure of creating a finished piece.

Are there any aspects of your process that are left to chance?

Perhaps one of the most exciting aspects of my process is pouring paint into raw canvas, which I use for the collage paintings. Though I am controlling how the paint is applied and in what areas, chance plays a huge role in how the paint may pool or how the colors might combine and swirl together. I really enjoy this aspect of my process, as ‘play’ allows for a sense of joy and freedom in the creative process.

How has your work developed in the past few years, and how do you see it evolving in the future?

Over the last few years, collage has taken over in my work, as I’ve moved from observational painting on panel to more abstract, cut-out, stretched canvases. These canvases are slowly moving off the stretcher, and this freedom has allowed me to experiment in so many ways - most importantly by adding multiple mediums and techniques. Future works will play more with installation and how to hang these “banner paintings”, taking into consideration the backs of paintings and grounding the work with collected materials from my home and the woods.

I often enter the studio with a big sigh of relief that I’ve made it there and a feeling of gratefulness for my own space. I usually go to the piece I had been working on the last time I was there to see how I respond - to see if it still holds.

Nina Bellucci

How do your surroundings direct your approach to your work? Do you find that environment relates to your work?

I think a lot about the experience of place and the passage of time, especially the feeling of being completely present on walks in the woods and taking notice of everything around me. I hope to impart the feeling of a spiritual experience to the viewer by directing them to look up or through - to notice all of the textural details, and to spend more time looking.

Where do you find your day-to-day inspiration?

I am very much inspired by nature. Born and raised in Florida, having lived there into my early 20s, I found the extremeness of nature there hard to ignore. The expanse of the sky above the flat lands, the vast ocean, the incredible sunsets, and the piercing sunlight were supporting characters in my daily life. Many years later, I find myself seeking out similar experiences on a daily basis, but being in the Northeast, where a sunny day is never a guarantee, makes experiencing the sun's bright light that much more special. I try to imbue this same sense of awe and spirituality in my work through reverence for the inexplicable and the small miracles of daily life.

Are you influenced by any author or non-visual artist? Are you influenced by any artist who does something completely different than you?

I really enjoy reading about the artistic practices of other artists, and I often refer to Anne Truitt’s Daybook for inspiration. She kept a journal for about seven years during her travels and often refers to memories of her past and her childhood in order to understand the present. She offers up quite a bit of insight into the artistic process and exemplifies the notion of life as art.

I also love reading poetry and enjoy finding parallels between the practices of visual art and crafting a poem. I enjoy poets such as John O'Donohue and Mary Oliver who draw from their own experiences in nature, using them to address some of the same spiritual questions.

Can you tell us more about your experience at art school? Did you have a favorite teacher or mentor?

I attended Boston University for graduate school and was fortunate to have painter John Walker as my mentor. He led by example as he was often the first one to his studio in the morning and the last one to leave. He also had a unique way of seeing things, and he wasn’t afraid to be direct and honest. I still hear his encouraging voice in my head while I am working in the studio.

Do you remember the first work of art that captured your attention?

When I lived in Florida, I often visited the Salvador Dali Museum, which was not too far from my house. I will never forget that feeling of awe as a child, standing in front of The Hallucinogenic Toreador, a massive painting towering over 13 feet high. It both confused me and left me wanting more. Strange how this is the reaction that I strive for in my own work today!

Is there any artwork on display in your home/studio? Whose is it?

I have some of my own work displayed in my home - some pieces that are special to me and that remind me of my children (a portrait of my youngest) or a particular time in my life (a depiction of my kitchen studio when the kids were young). I also have some work of my friends that I’ve collected or with whom I’ve traded with over the years, and a few of my dad’s paintings as well. He was a lawyer first, then a Lutheran pastor and part-time painter. He was never formally trained, but he had a true talent for painting clouds and sky. Painting was a spiritual practice for him, too.

I think a lot about the experience of place and the passage of time, especially the feeling of being completely present on walks in the woods and taking notice of everything around me. I hope to impart the feeling of a spiritual experience to the viewer by directing them to look up or through - to notice all of the textural details, and to spend more time looking.

Nina Bellucci

What’s one of your favorite objects you own? What’s the story?

One of my favorite objects is a grey, patterned stone that I collected from the shores of Iona Island in Scotland. It amazes me to think about this little stone’s history and the time it took to create its pattern of white lines from the waves constantly crashing over it. I took a trip there with my family about nine years ago to honor the memory of my father. His journey there many years ago was a spiritual one, and this rock helps me to feel connected to him.

Is there something people would be surprised to learn about you?

Music is an important creative outlet for me - I love punk rock, and I play the electric bass. My husband is also a musician, and our kids both play the drums! We sometimes play music together; it is a cherished family activity that I hope the kids never get tired of!