‘Mission Reflection’
By Anastacia Grenda
Artist
Nancy Egan
See It Egan’s work is displayed in “Belles of Capistrano: Four Women and Their Art” from Oct. 5 through Jan. 7 at Mission San Juan Capistrano, 26801 Ortega Highway, 949-234-1300,
www.missionsjc.com. To see more of Egan’s work, visit
www.orangecoastmagazine.com/egan.
Creation The San Clemente-based oil painter says Mission San Juan Capistrano is one of her favorite plein-air subjects: “There are endless compositions there and the atmosphere is so peaceful,” she says. “My first impression, a connection to the subject, is what first excites me. Ultimately, painting comes from a feeling.”
Process
Equipped with a linen canvas and a palette of six to nine colors, Egan starts with a rough drawing—her “road map”—with an emphasis on technical composition. She then adds flowing lines to draw the eye to the painting’s focal point. Using thin paint, she adds large, dark shapes before moving to lighter ones and thicker paint.
Inspiration
Although she comes from an artistic family, Egan chose a “practical path” that included studying mechanical engineering. But her creative side took over eight years ago, and now Egan’s art serves a higher purpose: “My subjects of choice are religious themes. That’s why I am drawn to the mission.”
Spotlight
Fall for Dance
A performing-arts version of a sampler box of chocolates, the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Fall for Dance presents nine companies representing a range of cultures and styles. The goal is for audience members to find a genre that suits their tastes.
Judith O’Dea Morr, OCPAC executive vice president, says she fell for dance while working at the Kennedy Center. “I was there for 15 years and saw every significant company as it passed through,” she says. “I wanted to bring that same opportunity to Orange County. I hope if we give people an opportunity to try [them], it will whet their appetite.”
The selection includes Beijing Dance LDTX, National Ballet of Canada, and Indian dancer Madhavi Mudgal. “Slow Dancing,” a slow-motion video, will be screened on the exterior of the concert hall Oct. 1 through 12.
Fall for Dance runs Oct. 2 through 5. 714-556-2787,
www.ocpac.org.
Arts Star
Laguna Hills artist Enzie Shahmiri
For auctioning her painting of a Sudanese girl on eBay and donating the proceeds to the United Nations to help Darfur
The auction runs Oct. 1 through 11. For more information, visit
www.enzieshahmiri.com.