Soft – NHA027

I photographed this young female green turtle at the aquarium. The entire scene is a combination of a few of my own reference photographs. She had a missing front flipper on the far side, so I added it from one of my other references. I loved the soft light of the general scene and especially the warm reflective light from the sand bouncing back onto the underside of the plastron, with the two prominent keels. I feel the swift impressions of the coachman and surgeon fish complete the picture, as well as the large mature green turtle also softly visible in the background.

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Nic employs a contemporary impressionist technique that blends traditional and experimental paint application. Nic’s art focuses on interpreting marine life, as well as the Australian landscape.

Currently, two galleries show his paintings: The Montville Art Gallery in Queensland and the ArtworX Gallery in Goolwa. He is also a management committee member of the Adelaide Art Society.

In South Africa, he had previously exhibited and sold artworks at prestigious venues, such as The Green Gallery in Mount Edgecombe, The Gallery at the Lifestyle Centre in Ballito, Makiwa Gallery in Umhlanga, and the DUT Art Gallery. In 2021, Nic was featured on the cover and had an eight-page spread in the South African Artist magazine. In 2023, he won First Prize at the Campbelltown Art Show and a Merit Award at the Royal South Australian Society of Arts winter exhibition. In September 2024, Nic graduated from a PhD in visual arts where a series of paintings explore the role of art in sea turtle conservation. This year, Nic received a Highly Commended Award at the Victor Harbor Art Show, was a finalist for the Adelaide Park Lands Art Prize, and was the featured artist in the Adelaide Art Society’s autumn exhibition. Nevertheless, his unwavering focus remains on depicting the interplay of light and subject, utilising techniques reminiscent of the famous impressionists.