Her Home Is Her Canvas
By Judy Luse

Twirling green vines bow their supple stems to flirt among the dresses, jewelry and sweaters found at Magnolia Port courtesy of Nancy Cain, decorative painter.

Take a look around the boutique located next to Good Looks. Cain’s work subtly ignites the room with charming Victorian dresses (her favorite work) adorning the walls trimmed with whimsical scrolls and trellises of a French garden.

Nancy Cain is an artist and decorative painter who utilizes pigments of her imagination to create one-of-a-kind murals, furniture, chalk boards,  - almost anything you can think of,  including an Equestrian Line called “Twists & Turns.”

Seven years ago, she packed her up her family and talent and left San Diego for Smith Mountain Lake. “My husband sold his business; we wanted to be near the water so we took out a map and targeted Oregon, Utah and some other places. My husband’s brother went to Radford, he sent us information on the Lake and we chose this area.”

“It’s just a gift...I’ve always dabbled in it,” she explains adding that she studied art history in college but majored in community development.

Her first project was a set of pilgrims for her dining room table. “My neighbors saw them and wanted a set, then their friends ordered and it just went from there.”

Cain, her husband and daughter, live in Waverly where she has a studio and operates her business called England Creek. “It’s just me,” she says with a laugh. “I did it before I moved here. I hit the California gift shows for about 8 years and developed a line of gifts which were all hand painted.”

In business since 1987, she has now developed a line of furniture - accent tables, cabinets, boxes - which are available at The Little Gallery at Bridgewater Plaza. She also recently exhibited at High Point Furniture Market.

A popular item among grandparents are handpainted children’s cradles and antique rockers with the child’s name which become heirlooms to be handed down from generation to generation.

A free hand artist, she has created works of art in homes in Roanoke and northern Virginia. She’s also learned a few lessons along the way. During the Gulf War, on the 4th of July, she created whimsical Uncle Sams. The first day of the show she had $20,000 in orders. “Bigger does not always mean better,”she says with a laugh. “I got the orders filled but never again.”

Her next challenge is designing artwork for Good Looks Hair and Nail Salon. “I get so many comments about her work; people always notice and are amazed,”says Sally Heffernon, owner.

While she enjoys painting for others, her home is her canvas. Entry to the kitchen area is done in Portmeirion Botanic Garden sketches. Bouquets of flowers adorn the walk-in shower. Skylights are alive with color and design. Boxes and chests bear her signature style.

Cain has changed the interior several times simply by changing the artwork. “It’s a very clean and economical way to get a new, fresh look. It’s much cheaper than investing in wallpaper.”