Biography
Al Nash was born in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1946 and his family moved to Houston in 1949. Al grew up on Houston’s north side, moving to the Aldine area in 1959, where Al graduated high school in 1964. He immediately entered the University of Houston pursuing a degree in commercial art. In 1969, he received both a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. His active military service took him to the Republic of Vietnam in 1971. Upon his release from active duty, Al continued his education pursuing a teaching certificate and, eventually a Masters of Education in 1978. Between 1974 and 1986, Al worked as a teacher and librarian with the Houston Independent School District. From 1986 through 2006 Al’s primary employer was the United States government as he worked as a Training Specialist with the Army Reserve and as an Education Specialist with the Department of Defense and later with the United States Army. During this time Al continued to serve in the United States Army Reserve and retired in 1995 as a Lieutenant Colonel. During much of the same period of time, Al held a variety of jobs to supplement his income, including as a testing specialist with the University of Houston and an adjunct instructor in Adult Basic Education with Houston Community College.
In 2006, upon his retirement from civilian employment with the United States Army, Al returned to his first love – Art and more specifically, painting. His first group show was in 2007 and his first solo show was held in January of 2012. Al’s work is eclectic to the point that it was noted several times at his solo showing of “American Icons” that the work looked as if it were done by different artists. He believes this diversity of style reflects his widely varied interests. Al considers himself to be a contemporary pop artist. His work was published in Volumes I and II of International Contemporary Artists, published in 2010 and 2011, respectively. In 2013, Al was a finalist for the Hunting Prize. His second solo show was held at the Cy Fair Campus of Lone Star College in 2015.
Al currently lives in Copperfield with Velma, his wife of 48 years. Al and Velma have three children, seven grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. Al is an active member of the Calvary Community Church in Copperfield where he serves as a deacon.