Until April 2010, Nikki lived in the harbour town of Ilfracombe in North Devon. Immersing herself in the sights, scents and sounds of her environment, the steep hills around the town, harbour and more remote coastal paths provided endless inspiration for Nikki’s work. Now living in Salsomaggiore Terme, a spa town at the foot of the Appennine Hills in Italy, Nikki has a whole new landscape to discover. Rolling hills, luminous light and incredible patterns within the rich landscape provide a fresh source of inspiration.
Through her controlled use of vibrant colouring and abstraction, paintings are created through an intuitive approach. The techniques that Nikki uses are diverse, but there are two recurrent themes in all of her work – dynamic use of colour and coastal subject matter. Detailed watercolours, illustrative acrylics and abstract oils, Nikki’s ability to respond to mood, feeling, memory and imagination is captured through engaging and vibrant creations.
Nikki continually strives to create a sense of place which every viewer can relate to in a personal way through their own experiences. She doesn’t attempt to produce a reproduction of a scene, but having a relationship with the places that she paints, Nikki’s work goes beyond the everyday familiar vision of things. In Devon works, her palette is heavily influenced by the imposing sea with its high horizon and blue/green tones. Familiar places, in particular St. Nicholas’ Chapel and the coastguard houses appear in Nikki’s work time and time again. Yellows and reds are beginning to dominate Nikki's Italian palette, and she has already discovered favourite spots within her surroundings.
Nikki works in her studio at home, using her own photos and sketches, but more importantly imagination and experience to determine her work. She rarely plans the composition of her paintings, enjoying the freedom of exploring ideas as they intuitively appear.
Growing up on the Mendip Hills in Somerset, Nikki graduated with a degree in Illustration before embarking on a teaching career. She moved to Ilfracombe in 2004 in order to satisfy her desire to paint and live around this inspiring coastline.
