Ms. Heasley was born in New Zealand, and attended Otago School of Fine Art, receiving a diploma in fine art in 1992 and a Grad Dip in Education with a double art method (ACU, Melbourne) in 2009. Up until 2017, Ms. Dawborn worked as a graphic designer in NZ and Australia, including at The Age; and as an art teacher, including heading the art department at Norwood Secondary College in Melbourne. Before embarking on these careers, she was a regular group and solo exhibitor in the Dunedin, NZ region. Nicola is currently working from her Melbourne home studio on a collection of nature-inspired oil paintings.