Art has always been part of Nicole’s life, from designing paper-doll clothes as a young girl to pottery classes and garden design courses. Growing up in New Zealand Nicole completed formal studies in photography but after moving to Australia with her family in 2003 made a total change from lens to paintbrush, preferring the physical, tactile process and creativity.
During the following ten years she completed courses in perspective drawing, portraiture, and techniques in three key mediums of oil, water colour, and acrylic. She studied, practiced and learned as much as she could about art styles but realised early on that Impressionism was her favoured style “as it allows creativity and personality to shine through, but demands skill and consideration throughout the painting process”. Nicole regularly paints outdoors or from life, which helps in creating loose, fresh and occasionally abstract impressions, using pattern, texture and colour. “I feel most images deserve recognition, so although I work loosely, I include more than a touch of poetic reality.”
Nicole now works from her studio in the Hinterland of Sunshine Coast but paints often with local plein air artists. She is kept busy experimenting or working on commissioned paintings in her studio, Co-ordinating the annual Plein Air Painting Week held in August and writing poetry which is often strongly connected to her artwork.
Most Recent Exhibitions:
Best Painting Award, Coolum Art Collective October 2024
Highly Commended Award, Sunshine Coast Plein Air Painters exhibition August 2024
Highly Commended Award, Coolum Art Collective April 2024
Solo Art Exhibition, Vianta Arts, Beerwah, Nov-December 2023
Sunshine Coast Plein Air Painters Exhibition August 2023
Linden Postcard Show, Melbourne annually 2019 to 2023
Seaview Gallery, Moffat Beach – Exhibiting Artist through 2019/20
Sunshine coast Plein Air Painters Exhibition August 2019
Sunshine coast Plein Air Painters Exhibition August 2018
Solo Art Exhibition, Baked Poets Café, Perigian Beach 2018
Best Painting Award, Immanual Arts May 2016
