Where Stories Take Shape: Learning from Nancy Polo
- Kristin Fiorvanti
- Jun 26
- 3 min read
By the third day of the Summer Fine Arts Academy, students had spent time observing the world around them and experimenting with new materials. Our focus shifted to transformation, and there was no better guide for that conversation than illustrator and painter Nancy Polo. Dividing her time between the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and the Veneto region of Italy, Nancy's work explores harmony, storytelling, and the magical spaces that emerge when imagination meets observation. As she writes in her artist statement, "Stories are at the heart of everything in my art," adding that transformation requires "not only attention to details, but an ability to step away from our 'self' to see how one is united with everything else."
Nancy shared with students a behind-the-scenes look at an illustration project inspired by a contemporary song and its singer, reimagined as a storybook with a creative twist on the classic tale of Cinderella. Students were fascinated to see how a single idea could evolve across multiple forms of storytelling—from music, to written narrative, to visual imagery. They quickly discovered that illustration is far more than drawing pictures; it is the process of interpreting a story and making intentional decisions that help readers understand characters, emotions, and relationships. She thoughtfully played the song as she shared her works in progress on screen.
One of the most engaging moments came as Nancy demonstrated her character development process. She showed how she combined human and animal characteristics to create expressive, anthropomorphic characters that still retained a recognizable likeness to their human inspirations. Students immediately began identifying which visual features made each character feel familiar while also embracing the imaginative transformation that illustration allows.
This discussion became an opportunity to introduce an important artistic idea: transformation is not about copying. It is about preserving the essence of an idea while allowing it to become something entirely new. Whether inspired by a song, a fairy tale, or a person, illustrators make countless creative decisions about gesture, expression, color, symbolism, and composition to communicate a story.
Students also gained valuable insight into illustration as a profession. Nancy described the many layers involved in developing a finished book—from early sketches and research to revisions, collaboration, and final illustrations. Her presentation reminded students that professional artists rarely create their first idea perfectly. Instead, stories are built through observation, experimentation, revision, and thoughtful development.
As students returned to their own artwork later that day, they began asking themselves new questions. How can I transform my original drawing instead of simply copying it? What details communicate personality? How can I combine unexpected ideas to tell a richer story? Nancy's visit encouraged students to see transformation not as changing an image for the sake of change, but as a thoughtful process of discovering new possibilities within an existing idea.
Whether magical, empowering, true, or imagined, stories truly are at the heart of her work. You'll gauge just how insightful, calculated, and concise Nancy's reflections are through the guided tour in the following video. Check out the impressive body of work she exhibited at the Barns of Rose Hill, "Real Women Who Work," seven years ago.
To learn more about Nancy, follow her creative journey @nancypoloart on Instagram, and grab a copy of the book when the clock strikes midnight!
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