Recognizing a deep passion for the arts at a young age, Pastel Artist Jody Nash was encouraged by her parents to pursue her dream through childhood. Despite the desire to be an artist, Jody followed her second passion a becoming a nurse. While working and raising her family, Jody obtained her BFA in Studio Arts at UC Davis in California. She had the honor of studying under many talented artists who taught Jody not only the mechanics of printing, painting, and photography but also how to open her eyes and see the world of color, abstract shapes, shadows, and light. Jody has carried those lessons forward in this work.

This current body of work in soft pastels grew out of a move at the start of 2020, from California to North Carolina. Following a decade of intense work in coiled pine needle basketry, Jody was in the process of unwinding from a long career in nursing. Landing here in Chapel Hill, Jody was overwhelmed by the lush landscape and quickly began searching for a medium to describe it. In November of 2020 Jody bought her first pastel set and sanded papers and fell in love. Over time Jody has developed a mostly representational approach to earth and sky, reflections in water, and massive storm clouds, though at times she may use non-traditional methods to achieve her goal. Jody is always seeking to understand the complex relationships between color, light, composition, and the emotions they evoke.