Events & CV
Nanci Miranda is an Intuitive Artist
By Constance Scrafield - Orangeville Citizen Article
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When you read about Nanci Miranda's astonishing entry into a life as an artist on her website, it may well be a challenge for you to believe her amazing story. Yet, the proof of what she tells you is even more surprising.
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There will be an exhibition of Ms. Miranda's remarkable paintings in the dining room of the Millcroft Inn from April 1 to June 1.
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During a recent interview with the Citizen, we learned when Ms. Miranda was 50, she became chronically ill, as the result of being care giver to family members who needed her. Her exhaustion was so intense, she was barely able to do more than rest and sleep. She took a year off work and during that summer she just rested.
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By a certain point in this effort to recover, she related that she “called out to life” she had enough of this lack of energy, that she wanted her life back.
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At the time, she was clear, “I had never drawn nor painted in my life, never studied art but, at the end of the summer, I got this gift.”
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Her cry was answered by a sudden change to her vision: colours were more vibrant and “everything in front of me had enhanced dimension.”
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It all began with a dear little sketch of her own back porch, a pencil sketch with perspective and shading, looking like the work of a talented artist, with years of sketching such vignettes.
The sketch came as a mystery and a surprise to her, as did the beautiful, painted portrait she did of her daughter as a baby, but this was barely the beginning. The paintings she started to create were one revelation after another. Without a moment of art training or any connection to the art world, Nanci Miranda was producing paintings with vibrant colours and meaning. Even more, they ranged in an impressive number of styles and content.
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“It took me at least five years to understand that I was painting from the spirit guides and that's why I can paint anything because they are painting through me. It's as if I'm in an altered state when I paint,” was her explanation.
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In her early days of this experience, she kept hiding her website, worried “people would find it too weird.” Eventually, she grew comfortable with the idea of being able to create this art work through her spirit guides; she had the evidence of their guidance as someone who “never studied art produces that portrait. It's impossible,” she rightly observes, “A miracle.”
There are six guides communicating with Nanci Miranda. Each is a specific personality, with individual approaches to the art they lead her to produce. They started by showing her what colour, what medium: oil, water colour, acrylic; where to put the colour on which sort of surface; could be canvas, board canvas or wood.
They are Josef, Gregory, Ella, The Shaman, Liz and Jack.
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It is Liz with whom Ms. Miranda does commissions. What intrigues her so much about commissions is the connection that precedes the work. “What matters most is the interview,” she said. “What they're longing for and putting that in the piece; putting some of the flow in the piece.
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“I love that I have the honour of expressing the emotion in the piece.”
It is about balance, for this has been quite a journey. A couple of years ago, she became a Reiki Master and she meditates every day, working at not being overwhelmed.
Learning and doing Reiki, she studied with a teacher and studied all three stages. She now has a full practise. Healing while working with life energy that is stored in the body, the spirits guide her in this too.
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The lessons were over 10 years. People would say, “All your paintings are different.” She commented, “And I am in awe; not to the point where it is not a surprise.”
Usually Nanci Miranda's paintings are in the Headwaters Gallery in the Alton Mill Arts Centre.
Her ambition is to be able to go on with her art, to have her own studio. Indeed she and her husband, a ceramic artist, did organize a studio in Toronto where they currently live and it was all go until Covid hit and ended the dream. They would love to return to that plan.
“The most pleasure I get is doing commissions,” she conceded.
She added her own advice to a younger generation, “Get to know yourself. Trust that life has something specular for yourself. Realize that everything is possible.
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Rentals for Film and Television
Paris Fleurs
Showing on "American Gods" in October 2018
Showing on "My Spy" in November 2018
Recent & Upcoming Events
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Helloart Showing
55 Standish Court
July 3rd - Oct 3rd 2024
Alton Mill
Where the Wild Things Are
May 29th - July 1st 2024
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The Millcroft Inn, Caledon
Solo Show 30 pieces
April 1st - June 1st 2024
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Headwaters Gallery in Alton Mills, Caledon
From the Heart
February 14th - March 17th 2024
Headwaters Gallery in Alton Mills, Caledon
As The Story Goes Show
August 1st - September 1st 2023
Don Valley Art Club Online Spring Show
April 19th - May 9th 2022
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Don Valley Art Club Online Show , Large Small Square,
November 25 - December 2021
Collective Expressions 2020, Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Road
November 2020 CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19
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Members Show GAS Gallery, 1475 Gerrard Avenue East
Sept 30th - October 21st 2020
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July 1 - 31 2020 BGFA Online Show CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19
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Solo Show Beacher Cafe, 2162 Queen Street East,
Month of June CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19
Don Valley Art Club Spring Show, Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Road
Date TBD 2020 Changed to online show due to covid 19
Small Paintings for Small Places (BGFA), The Gardener's Cottage, 39 Lee Ave.,
May 22,23,24 2020 CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19
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Heart Show, Gerrard Art Space, 1475 Queen Street East
January 29th - February 16th 2020
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Christmas Gift and Art Show, Beaches Guild of Fine Art, The Gardener's Cottage, 39 Lee Ave.,
Dec. 6 - 8 2019
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25th Anniversary Show, Beaches Guild of Fine Art (BGFA), The Beacher Cafe, 2162 Queen Street East
November 2019
Don Valley Art Club Fall Show, Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Road
November 11 - 25 2019
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Autumn in the Valley, Miller Lash House 130 Old Kingston Road
September 29th 2019
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Art in the Beach, Beach Guild of fine Art's Fall Show (BGFA) show, Beach United Church,
September 20 -22 2019
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End of Summer Show, Essentia 2180 Queen Street East
August 22 - 31 2019
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Expressions of Colour, Gerrard Art Space, 1475 Gerrard Street East
June 5 - 23 2019
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Don Valley Art Club Spring Show, Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Road
May 8 - 26 2019
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Spring Art Show, Beach Guild of Fine Art (BGFA), Gardener's Cottage 39 Lee Ave.,
May 24 - 26 2019
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Prologue Cafe
February/March 2019
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Christmas Gift & Art Show, Beaches Guild of Fine Art (BGFA), Beaches United Church
December 1 - 2 2018
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Don Valley Art Club Annual Fall Show, Papermill Gallery Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Road
November 14-25 2018
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Beaches Guild of Fine Art (BGFA) Fall Show, Beaches United Church
September 21 - 23 2018
Journey's Art Show, Gerrard Art Space, 1475 Gerrard Ave.,
February 2 - March 11 2018
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End of Summer Show, Essentia, 2180 Queen Street East
August 30 - September 12 2018
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SunnyBrook Hospital Art Show, 2075 Bayview Avenue
July 31 - Sept 6 2018
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Beaches Guild of Fine Arts Fall Show (BGFA), Beaches United Church
September 22 - 24 2017
Silver Moon Art Show, Art Square Gallery, 334 Dundas Street West (across from AGO)
February 20 - March 6 2017
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Spring Art Show, Scarborough Art Guild, Centennial Community Centre, 1967 Ellesmere Road
May 5 - 11 2017
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Art in the Park, Witchurch-Stoffville Memorial Park
June 10 2017
Art in the Valley Christmas Show, Miller Lash House, 130 Old Kingston Road
December 3 2016
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