Pittsfield artist and crafter creates beautiful objects

PITTSFIELD – Nancy A. Leone creates intricately painted and colorful floral glass objects, cloth Christmas mice in detailed outfits, tiny scenes in walnut shells and a host of other artistic offerings.

She has been selling her unique creations in numerous bazaars throughout the area for at least 10 years. This month she transported a small army of her creations to the St. Joseph High School Holiday Harvest Craft Show. She spent at least two months making all of the things she brought  to the show.

An extremely friendly and outgoing lady with a touch of elegance and class, Ms. Leone said she’s been a crafter for as long as she can remember.

“I’ve always liked working with my hands,” she said while seated in her artistically decorated Pittsfield apartment.

She wore a light pink sweater, black pants and black shoes adorned with rhinestone decorations. She also wore rings and other attractive jewelry.

“One stroke” technique on glass

The painting technique she has perfected is called “one stroke.” Her mentor is the nationally-famed Donna Dewberry, a master of that painting method. Mrs.

Dewberry has all kinds of painting books and videos on one stroke.

Ms. Leone, an attractive lady with soft brown eyes and light colored hair, is 76 years old but appears to be much younger, both in appearance and, especially, manner.

She has three grown daughters, Lisa, Lori and Gina, all of whom live in Pittsfield, and eight grandchildren, four boys and four girls.

She said she even did crafts when her own girls were little and spent many hours crafting with the grandkids when they were little.

From house to an apartment

Ms. Leone said she used to have a big house but downsized last year to her place at Capitol Square Apartments on North Street. As a lifelong collector and decorator, she said she was delighted to be able to put dozens of her decorations in storage at the apartment complex.

Every holiday she elegantly decorates her own apartment as well as hallways and the lobby of Capitol Square.

At Christmas time, she adorns trees inside and outside of her apartment plus two additional trees for her neighbors.

“I do what I like to do,” she said of her decorating prowess. “If other people enjoy it, I love it even more.”

She will have a Victorian tree in her apartment, festooned with burgundy and pink decorations, she said. She will also do an all-white tree with either white decorations or all blue.

She loves Christmas

“I’m a Christmas nut,” she said, chuckling. “I love Christmas. I absolutely love it.”

Ms. Leone graduated from Pittsfield High School and worked for several years at the former Sheaffer Eaton, Inc., of Pittsfield.

Shown above are some of the artist’s Christmas balls.

She’s been doing one-stroke painting for a long time. She’s painted glass boxes, glasses, vases, dishes, Christmas balls and so on. The intricacy of her work and wide range of colors are extremely appealing.

“I love to paint,” Ms. Leone said. “When I paint, I don’t pay any attention to the time.  My crafts are therapy.  Whatever you have on your mind, just pick up a craft.”

Among her many creations this year are trees made with tiny pinecones she hand-picked from hemlock bushes. Each tree required hot gluing at least 150 pine cones.

They looked dazzling and Ms. Leone added glitter and decorative bows to a small forest of trees.

She said she planned to charge only $15 for the larger ones.

“Crafters do not count the hours for their work,” she said.

Makes guests feel welcome

Peel-off lettering high up on a wall in her kitchen reads, “May all who enter guests, leave as friends.”

That’s not hard to do, either, since Ms. Leone makes guests feel very at-ease and welcome. To a Beacon reporter, she served coffee in special rose-covered cups, along with slices of pumpkin cream roll.

“I’m a coffee nut,” she said with a laugh.

Everything she does is done with class. She gives back to others and thoroughly enjoys retirement and her new apartment.

Known as “Nani” to her grandchildren, Ms. Leone appears to have discovered a quality life, surrounded by many beautiful things that she loves.

Posted by Susan M. Wicker Guerrero on November 20, 2012. Filed under Arts and Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry