Nancy Ortenstone’s paintings are inspired by the New Mexico landscapes of her region, especially the ever-changing colors of the mountains and mesas, the wide-open skies, and the embracing silence. Rather than reproduce a landscape, Ortenstone takes what she sees into her own psyche and creates many layers of underpainting on each canvas, until the final image emerges.

"When I can dance with the colors and trust that each painting is the path to the next, my paintings undergo a transformative process. Acrylics are especially suited to my technique because of the speed with which images can emerge, be washed away and rapidly be brought forth again with new resonance," Ortenstone states. Her objective is to unite music, dance and color, creating her own melodies on canvas. The artists who have inspired her are Rothko, Frankenthaler and Diebenkorn.

Ortenstone has lived in Minnesota (her birthplace), Mexico and New Mexico over the course of her adult life. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Mexico through Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She currently shows with Canyon Road Contemporary Art, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Married to well-known novelist and painter Pierre Delattre, Ortenstone feels her supportive marriage and two daughters have helped to keep her grounded throughout her artistic career.