Local Woman Maintains Active Lifestyle at Age 80

Age hasn’t stopped local artist Nancy Rice from doing what she loves.

Nancy has been creating artwork for most of her adult life. However, in the past few years, she has devoted nearly all of her spare time to volunteering.  Occasionally, she will agree to save some time for painting.

Recently, she was asked if she would design and paint an entrance sign for a campground in West Virginia. She didn’t hesitate to say yes. The reason being, her son, Darren, was the person asking. A friend had asked if he knew of anyone who could paint a new sign, and he replied, “Yes, my mom.”

Nancy accepted the challenge and was soon delivered a 4’ x 8’ sheet of PVC. As she sat in front of this huge white board with her sketch pad, she thought, Oh, dear, what have I gotten myself into? Also, she wasn’t sure how long it would be sharing her kitchen space.

“It was a bit overwhelming at first, since I usually paint on stretched canvas,” said Nancy.

Darren suggested she start by drawing camping scenes and a campfire. So, she did, thus putting her imagination to work. Soon, she had completed a design and was ready for her paintbrushes.

Three and a half weeks later, she put the finishing touches on the sign. It was delivered to the Sleepy Creek Campground near Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, and erected. The owners are quite pleased with their new sign that was hand painted by a senior, 80 years young. Nancy feels blessed that she still has near-perfect eyesight and a steady left hand to take on such a project. She said her busy lifestyle gives her a sense of purpose and fulfillment.