Nancy Lockwood is an accomplished artist who has continued to pursue her craft on a regular basis, with a variety of different inspirations.

She is a painter who usually works in watercolor. Her home on Beech Street bears testament to her artistry, with the walls dotted by framed examples of her work, both recent and from decades ago. Other paintings, completed or still in progress, lean against the wall.

She and her late husband, Patton Lockwood, who taught speech and theater at Longwood, moved to Farmville in 1963. She said she took some classes at Longwood that further developed her artistic ability, highlighting a teacher named Janice Lemon.

“I took oil painting from her, and with someone else I took printmaking, and I’d already majored in art at Oberlin College, but you can always keep learning,” Lockwood said.

She does not necessarily paint on a daily basis, but there is something in her life that helps her consistently stay active on the artistic front.

“I belong to a group called The Potluck Painters, and we meet every Friday after 9 (a.m.) sometime, usually 9:30, quarter of 10 and paint until noon or whenever we get hungry,” she said.

Outside of that, Lockwood noted she does not paint a lot because she is involved in a lot of activities, including bridge, garden club and more, and she loves to read.

A variety of plants occupy different spots in her home, and she confirmed plants sometimes inspire her paintings, but “I do a lot of different approaches,” she said.

Many of the paintings on display are watercolor, and she noted she has been president of the Virginia Watercolor Society, a state organization for artists.

“I’ve been involved in it since 1984, and I’ve gotten in a few times, even won an award one time,” she said.
Lockwood said that later this month, the Longwood Center for the Visual Arts will honor her with a Lifetime Achievement in the Arts award.

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