The Vibrant Silk Paintings of Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey

In the shadow of Montana's Glacier National Park, artist Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey creates masterpieces that bridge centuries and continents. Her vibrant silk paintings capture the untamed spirit of the American West through an artistic medium that traces its roots back to ancient China. Through her unique vision, tipis burst with color, cowgirls ride with determination, and the wildlife of the Northern Rockies springs to life on lustrous silk surfaces.

Parallel Visions: Midwest Sculptor & Western Silk Artist

April 4, 2025, from 5 to 7 pm

This captivating dual exhibition features new work by artist Mark Dziewior and debuts the vivid paintings on canvas and silk by Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey, a new artist we welcome to the Sorrel Sky family. The show opens with an artist reception with both artists in attendance on April 4 from 5 to 7 pm and continues through April 30, 2025.

This unique exhibition brings together two distinctive artists who celebrate the natural world through different mediums and regional influences. Mark Dziewior's tactile wildlife sculptures, influenced by his Wisconsin upbringing, invite viewers to experience the spiritual connection between humans and animals. Nancy Dunlap Cawdrey's vibrant silk paintings capture the breathtaking expansiveness of Montana's landscapes and Western culture.

Nancy's artistic journey is as colorful as her paintings. Growing up as a global citizen, she absorbed the rich patterns and hues of diverse cultures, from the ancient streets of Syria to the precision of German design. These early experiences laid the foundation for her distinctive artistic voice. Her formal art education took her to Paris, where she spent two years studying Old Master techniques, developing the classical understanding that would later inform her contemporary style.

After years of living abroad in England and Europe with her husband Steve, the couple found themselves drawn to the rugged beauty of Montana. It was here, amid the towering peaks and sprawling prairies, that Nancy would discover her true artistic calling – though it would take one more journey to complete the picture.

During a trip to Hawaii, Nancy encountered the art of silk painting, and it was love at first sight. The medium perfectly matched her artistic sensibilities – the way the French dyes flow across the crepe de chine silk reminded her of watercolor techniques, but with an unprecedented vibrancy that seemed to capture light itself. This ancient art form, when combined with her chosen subject matter of the American West, would become her signature style.

What Nancy may not have known then was that she was becoming part of an artistic tradition stretching back over two millennia. The earliest known silk paintings were discovered in China's Mawangdui Tomb, dating to the Warring States Period (476-221 BC). For thousands of years, silk painting remained one of China's closely guarded treasures, along with the secrets of silk production itself.

The story of silk is one of the world's greatest tales of artistic and commercial exchange. Beginning around 2640 BC under the patronage of Chinese Empress Hsi Ling Shi, venerated as the Goddess of Silk, the art of sericulture remained a closely guarded secret for three millennia. The precious fabric traveled the famous Silk Road, a 4,000-mile trade route connecting China to the Mediterranean, but the knowledge of its production remained protected.

Legends tell of silk's spread through royal marriages and secret missions – a Chinese princess smuggling silkworm eggs in her headdress to India, Persian monks concealing eggs in hollow canes to bring to Constantinople. Eventually, silk painting found its way to Europe through an unexpected source: members of the Russian czar's family who fled the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, bringing with them the ancient techniques they had learned from Chinese masters.

Today, Nancy Cawdrey stands as one of the most celebrated practitioners of this ancient art form. Her work represents a fascinating fusion – the traditional techniques of Asian silk painting meeting the bold subjects of the American West. Working with French dyes on crepe de chine silk, she creates pieces that seem to glow from within, capturing the majesty of wildlife, the beauty of Western landscapes, and the vibrant culture of the region.

Her achievements speak to both her artistic excellence and her role in preserving Western heritage. As a founding member of the Russell Skull Society of Artists, her work has been featured in prestigious venues across the country, from the C.M. Russell Museum to the National Cowboy Museum. In 2020, she launched "Forever Glacier," a traveling museum exhibit featuring twenty-five large-format silk paintings celebrating the mammals and landscapes of Glacier National Park.

Nancy's studio in Northwestern Montana serves as a bridge between past and present, East and West. Here, she continues to challenge herself with her chosen medium, creating works that honor both the ancient tradition of silk painting and the enduring spirit of the American West. Her paintings can be found in permanent collections of museums, corporate offices, and international buyers, a testament to the universal appeal of her unique artistic vision.

The story of Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey is more than just a tale of artistic success – it's a reminder of how art can transcend time and culture. Through her work, the ancient Chinese art of silk painting finds new life in scenes of the American West, creating a unique dialogue between traditions separated by thousands of years and thousands of miles.

As silk painting continues to gain popularity as a contemporary art form, Nancy stands as a pioneer who has helped establish its place in Western art. Her vibrant paintings do more than capture scenes of Western life— they represent a fascinating convergence of ancient technique and modern vision, Eastern tradition, and Western subjects, creating something entirely new and uniquely beautiful in the process.