Nancy and Bill Brown met on the coast of Maryland, where Nancy was born and raised. Together they sailed boats and raised dogs, surrounded by the mystical landscapes and dreamy shores of the Atlantic.
Nancy became familiar with northern New Mexico after winning several fellowships from the Helene Wurlitzer Foundation in Taos. During that time she became fascinated with the mountains, the light, and uncluttered spaces, establishing professional relationships with painter Agnes Martin and sculptor Alan Houser.
The high desert claimed the couple for good in 1996, a move made to be closer to her son. “We were fish out of water,” Bill says, “two old souls and a dog. We built our home—the main room is an art studio with the majestic Ute Mountain standing in our window.”
Nancy studied at the Abbott School of Art in Washington, D.C. and also the Maryland Institute of Art and the Corcoran Museum School of Art, studying with the Washington Color School Painters. At her longtime home, Monhegan Island, Maine, she purchased the cottage-studio originally built by one of Mongegan’s early women artists. Here she painted, exhibited her work, and held workshops in collage, painting and mixed media. Nancy was one of the founders of Women Artists of Monhegan Island.