Meet Nancy Eastman | Landscape Architect Designer and Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy Eastman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Landscape Design and Construction is a craft with being an artesian and a designer. Construction takes hard labor work that is done by hand more than by machine if well crafted. It is difficult to find laborers that want to work physically and who want to learn to be a craftsman and understand design. The landscape is expensive for materials and labor and the design process is a lengthy process with the client’s needs and wants and the desired budget. Also, it takes intelligence and experience to be good at any landscaping need that comes up. Landscaping is an art form with hardscaping and planting design.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I attended C.S.U. and Graduated with a BFA specializing in interior design. When I left I had two wonderful job offers in interior design. I was a designer for 20 years and 5 years in my own firm. My work was corporate mostly and contemporary. I wanted to make spaces interesting because I loved the outdoors so after 20 years I decided to do Landscape design and construction. I am totally self-taught and took a risk because I could not think of anything else I wanted to do. I got there by going to Iowa University to study paper-making. When I was there I loved the small farms and agriculture and knew I needed to be physical and outdoors. I came back and just started with men helping me construct. I was in the field for 11 years building landscapes before I hired a subcontractor who could do everything and worked well with me. I am most proud of the fact that I was grandfathered in to be a Landscape Architect for the work I had accomplished. The challenges were unbelievable but I stayed persistent for I did not know what else to do. In my business for 22 years. After years of placing art and creating environmental art, I now am doing art full-time. What sets it apart in juried shows is the hand=made paper and stitching. I am now in an artist residency in the historic Firehouse gallery in Longmont. What I have learned if you follow what you believe in there are people who will help you and I am grateful to all of them for they have made me who I am.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The red rocks for a concert. A trip to Boulder and Pearl street or a concert in the historic Chautauqua Auditorium and restaurant. Go Downtown Denver to the brown palace and have lunch in the ship’s tavern. Have another lunch at the bookbinder restaurant in Denver. Go to Golden and walk by the creek. Go to Gold Hill and have dinner at the Goldhill inn. A Rockies game would be a great thing to do to see the stadium and downtown Denver. An evening at the performance art center.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Jack Finlaw and Greg Movesian for hiring me for my first project to trim their trees before a party. They also encouraged me to construct their step sidewalk in front of their house and design their church landscape. They were there when I needed them the most. My son also worked in Genesee with me to construct a dry waterfall and streambed that we won a grand award on. Ken Fisher hired me to construct a deck and two water features in his backyard when I was just starting out. Associated Landscape Contractors Becky Garber published different articles on me that helped the reputation of Art of the Land and Deb Oberhausen who kept my website showing our work. I had many special clients that came to me at the right time and two designers Paul Briggs and Lynn Ridenour made my firm what it was.

Website: nancyeastmanartoftheland.com

Image Credits
Diane Huntress Photography