For one Delaware artist, colors and shapes mix to create a perfect life [video and photos]

Aina Nergaard-Nammack was born in Spain, both her mother and grandmother were painters, now in her 80’s Aina still carries on the tradition today.

Aina started painting “a long, long time ago.” Both her mother and grandmother painted and as a child Aina began painting as well.

Spain is a long way from Aina’s Lewes, Delaware studio. It was love and marriage that brought Aina to the states. “I married a person from the United States and here we are,” Aina said.

Aina’s paintings are abstract works. She has painted everything from portraits to landscapes, “but I always go back to the abstraction of things.”

Unlike many artists Aina has no idea what her finished piece will be. She doesn’t try and tell a particular story or convey an emotion in the work. She leaves that up to the viewer to see what you want in the piece.

That’s not to say she doesn’t plan at all, “The only thing I decide before I paint anything is the colors I am going to use.”

Aina uses a limited pallet of colors, “My pallet has maybe five things.” From those five or so colors Aina mixes the rest and just lets the art happen. “Many people say, ‘no, you can’t mix it in acrylic because they dry too fast.’ Well, I work fast so I can do it,” Aina said.

Her only concern while painting, are the forms, “because that’s what they are, colors and shapes that’s the only thing.”

At the beginning of a work Aina starts with big brushes, big strokes. She then brings it back in and gets smaller in both brush and stroke. “But than I am very careful because if you keep going and going and going without thinking than you’ll mess it up.”

After a time Aina will step back from the work and “see how it is working.”

For the last two years Aina has worked to music, classical music. In fact she calls that series ‘Fragments of Classical Music.’ Aina loses herself in the painting and the music. “I don’t even think, I just do it while I am listening to that music.”

As any artist will tell you the time melts away while you paint, and that is no different for Aina who in her 80’s still tries to paint at least five hours a day.

Aina starts every day with painting. “I try to paint first thing in the morning so that it is done and I am fresh.”When Aina is done a painting she knows it. “I just do it and when it is nice I stop,” Aina said.

For Aina painting keeps her mind healthy, keeps her busy, and perhaps most importantly, “I enjoy it.”

“When I go to bed and I have painted I am very happy, it is a perfect life,” Aina said.