Nanci Bissell

Nanci is a native of Texas and was born near Paris, Texas. Paris is 90 miles northwest of Dallas. Nanci has traveled extensively in the East, Southeast and Southwest. She is currently making her home in El Paso, Texas. She is the wife of the well-known artist and watercolorist, Bill Bissell, has 4 children and is an active member of the El Paso Art Association and Pastel society of El Paso. She was also one of the founders of the Black Range Artists.

Nanci was President of the El Paso Arts Association in 1976. She also has been the Director of the William Beaumont Art Gallery. She has been in the school business and teaching profession for 26 years in Texas where she was also an Assistant Principal for the Ysleta ISD. She has lived in El Paso for 29 years.

Nanci is a graduate of Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas (formerly known as East Texas State University). She has a B. S. and M. S. in elementary education and a minor in English and Art. She has had additional art classes in Brunswick College in Brunswick, Georgia. Nanci has studied under Dorothy Avera, Georgia, Dr. Allumbaugh, Dallas. Locally she has studied under Bill Kolliker, Ray Lopez Aleman, Bud Biggs, Barbara Brown, Bill Takocy, and Mignon Olive. Nancy received an award for an art exhibit at Brunswick College in Georgia. Her paintings have been exhibited at the Bissell Art Studio at 4601 Hondo Pass.

She hopes you enjoy her paintings as much as she enjoyed painting them. She has been painting for over 35 years. She was inspired by winning an honorable mention at the Paris, Texas Art Fair when she was 15 years old and in high school. She used to paint with her great aunt, also an artist when she was 12 years old. They would paint all day on Saturdays. When her aunt died her aunt's will, left all her art equipment and paints to Nanci. This has been her inspiration.

Mrs. Bissell's artistic interests reflect a wide range of subject matter including landscapes, Missions, street scenes, portraits and the Southwestern culture and scenery. She likes to paint people most of all and children especially.