On The Fence
Nancy E. Chadwick

I think of doubt and fear as shadows. Here the shadow of a nearby tree gradually loses its intensity and fades into nothingness as the fence catches bright light.
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Gettysburg: the Crossroads
Nancy E. Chadwick

Countless hours of research were spent reviewing images of photographs and topographic and other maps to find those generated as close as possible in time to the actual battle. My objective was to depict most of the battlefield with reasonable accuracy, including the shape and location of major battle venues and natural features such as treed areas, watercourses and the road network. Layered fabric was used to create the three-dimensional properties of ridges and hills. I chose to depict the whole of Gettysburg because I felt that its true message – a conscious choice of freedom – is found not in any one part, but rather in its whole. One of the striking facts physically about the battlefield is that it is aligned perfectly with the north-south axis.
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Reflections
Nancy E. Chadwick

At the time I did this early pastel and pencil work, I remember being fascinated by the idea that when objects are reflected in water, they look completely different. It's like working with some giant jigsaw puzzle – the individual pieces don't seem to make any sense until you assemble the whole thing.
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Spring Night
Nancy E. Chadwick

I think of this season as the reward for getting through the light-shortened days and harsh nights of winter. Hope is renewed as fresh growth energizes the landscape. Here, a row of tulips leads the eye to the right as if to say 'there's more promise just ahead!' and stars appear as tiny diamonds in the sapphire sky.
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Coming Home
Nancy E. Chadwick

A few months before September 11, 2001, I decided to enter a national competition in large part because its theme was "An American Original." To me, that meant only one thing – baseball – the game for which I've had a life-long love. I chose the title because I thought it would resonate with people on many different levels. It was also a subtle play on words for me personally since 2001 was the year I began my own journey of "coming home."
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Remembrance
Nancy E. Chadwick

My mother loved to read and had a wonderful collection of books: poetry, biography and some of the classics of literature. As a child, I remember being fascinated with the colors and the ornately embellished bindings. Working mostly from memory (first in watercolor and later in fabric), I tried to recreate a small portion of her library set against a backdrop of wallpaper yellowed with age.
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Autumn
Nancy E. Chadwick

I think of this season as a time of maturity and culmination, like the finale of a great performance. Here, a branch comes alive with burnished gold while five shadow-like leaves float in the background suggesting change that has occurred.
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Wildflowers
Nancy E. Chadwick

For many years, Georgia O'Keeffe has had
a strong influence on my work. Using
watercolor and pencil, I wanted to convey
a feeling of boldness and freedom. The
subject seemed to fit.
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Change
Nancy E. Chadwick

Originally, I had intended this as an abstract depiction of the three-day battle of Gettysburg, represented here by the three large triangular motifs. By the time I had finished the quilt, however, I realized that it was how I saw change – sharp
angles and seemingly disjointed paths. I've long associated change with red, so it seemed only appropriate to execute the design in that color.
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Intrepid
Nancy E. Chadwick

At the time I made this quilt, it took courage for me to continue to express my creativity. Turquoise and gold signify the creative force that rises through this flower to be released as bubbles floating into the environment. Sheers and other light fabrics were used to express airiness and fragility.
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Summer
Nancy E. Chadwick

Inspired by O'Keeffe, this flower depicts what summer represents to me – brilliant colors burning like flames and white heat that is tempered at night.
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