Milagros features artist Nancy Harris' work

ALAMOSA — Nancy Harris is the featured artist for the month of September at Milagros Coffee House.

Harris has an extensive background in art. She holds a Master’s Degree in Art History from the University of California Santa Barbara. It was during her time in graduate school that she began to learn new mediums and fell in love with mixed media/collages work. She has not looked back since.

The process that Harris uses to make her pieces is fairly straightforward. She begins with a flat surface, usually a canvas and uses all manner of materials to create distinct designs. Harris enjoys using materials that are “not usually thought of as art material,” using everything from vegetable packaging to envelopes and stamps to specialty papers from around the world.

She also describes the process as a lot of “cutting, tearing, and gluing.” The process of taking something ugly and turning it in to something beautiful is one that Harris has found to rewarding. In a sense, her work could well be described as turning trash into treasure.

Harris is grateful for the opportunity to display her work at Milagros and be able to have the use of a new, larger venue. Her display ties in with this weekend’s art walk. She will give demonstrations at Milagros during the event on Friday, September 7th and Saturday, September 8th. She will also host a workshop in Alamosa on October 27th.

Caption: It’s Complicated by Nancy Harris