Ten Years Later That Artist Is Me!

I finally have a website!

www.nickiault.com

is live! 

  

This is likely only a big deal to me, but that's okay, I still want to make this announcement. I am pretty dang proud that I built a website and that it turned out as well as (I think) it did. I am absolutely thrilled that now I can direct people to one place to look at my art. No more telling people to look at my small work on Daily Paintworks, my large work in my Facebook albums, or scroll through my blog or go to different gallery sites. UGH. It was becoming embarrassing. 

How on earth did I go so long without a website?

Well, for one, I can procrastinate with the best of them, but seriously and in all honestly, it has taken me this long to consider myself "professional" enough to deserve one. 

When my children were very young I spent three years from 2006-2009, watching the Daily Painting movement online. I was impressed with artists like Duane Keiser, Abbey Ryan, Edward B. Gordon, Carol Marine and Karin Jurick - and was fascinated by the possibilities of this online world of art. Finally one evening in August of 2009, hands shaking, I took the first step in setting up a blog, then the next step, then the next. By the end of the night this non-computer savvy person had given herself a blog for her birthday! 

"Nicki Ault: Me, Myself and Who Am I?", was going to help me explore who I was beyond a mother, wife, sister and friend. I never planned to become a daily painter, but I did hope the accountability of posting on a blog would motivate me to keep painting. It was hard with a busy five and seven year old around, but it worked. Nobody understood what I was doing, some worried that being "out there" online could even be dangerous, but I had this deep feeling in my gut that this was going to be the right thing for me. It was a tether to the art world.

Ten years later this blog is still going which ultimately means I am still going. TEN YEARS! Ten years and one thousand four hundred and fifty-six blog posts later!

My story is one of a self-conscious, introverted, stay-at-home mom who loved art and painted a little, but dreamed of being an artist who was represented by professional, reputable galleries, who painted full-time and who had her own website.

And today, with the launch of www.nickiault.com, that piece of the puzzle is in place...

 and that artist is me!

 

It Has Taken Me Ten Years

View North - Chief Mistawasis Bridge

View North, Chief Mistawasis Bridge

20x20"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

On this day the sky was everything of which I dream - dramatic, powerful, changing, moody and, of course, beautiful. As I drove around the swale taking photos, I could see building, billowing clouds to the north so it seemed the perfect time to drive across the city's newest bridge, the Chief Mistawasis. The views were spectacular, but, being a bridge and all, there was nowhere to pull over and take photos. I went back and forth across the bridge I don't know how many times trying to memorize the scene. Thinking about it now makes me giggle. I picture it as a cartoon: me in my minivan zipping across one way, then back across the other way, over and over again with a thought bubble above my head of me painting the scene Bob Ross-style. 

It eventually became apparent that I needed to actually stop to take photos; the clouds were too amazing to risk not remembering them. I found a spot on the east side of the river to park/wedge my van and set out across the north side of the bridge. 

The view was even better than I guessed now that I could see beyond the guard rails. The bridge is high and it's an uphill trek to the west side- a good workout! The walkway is wide and there are several really large, semi-circular jut-outs creating wonderful viewpoints along the way. Looking north in the direction of Wanuskewin at the curve of the river, I was surprised at how almost cliff-like the west bank was. With little traffic going by, there were few things to distract my visualizations of untouched land, canoes, buffalo jumps and campfires that may have set the scene many years ago. 

I felt somewhat transported and I hope this painting relates that wonder.

"View North, Chief Mistawasis Bridge" is available at Darrell Bell Gallery and is part of the current group show "Painting The Landscape". As well, the 6x6 study below, "Big Sky Over The South Saskatchewan" (not seen before), will be available at the Saskatchewan Craft Council booth at Art Now this coming weekend in Regina and also in their online store.

Big Sky Over The South Saskatchewan

6x6" (8x8" framed)

oil on board

 Nicki Ault, 2019

available at the Saskatchewan Craft Council

 

 

A Little Light Left

A Little Light Left

24 x 24"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2019

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

A new painting based on some smaller pieces I painted earlier this year. On view and for sale in Painting The Landscape at Darrell Bell Gallery.

A Sense Of Place

A Sense Of Place

36x60"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold

(commission)

This painting was a challenge and a joy all at once. It was a commission that came through Darrell Bell Gallery. I appreciate that they took the time to discuss my work with her and that they recommended she come for a studio visit. Luckily I was still in town, so I met her at 8:00 in the morning to hear what she envisioned for her special painting and then I was off on holidays with my family..

She desired a big Saskatchewan sky that we all know and love; the kind that are dark near the horizon creating a dramatic contrast against the glowing canola. She didn't want it to be too detailed and she didn't want a lot of purple. Aside from those minimal restraints, she wanted me to have fun and enjoy creating. She was wonderful and supportive.

I am happy to say that she is thrilled with her painting and has allowed us to show it at Painting The Landscape which opens at Darrell Bell Gallery tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 14. Please come to the opening between 2:00 and 5:00 if you have the time. The invitation is below.

Painting The Landscape At Darrell Bell Gallery

Here is your invitation to the third annual Painting The Landscape show at Darrell Bell Gallery!

I have been hunkered down like crazy lately. August was definitely an eat-paint-sleep-repeat month. However, I feel like the work was all worth it - there isn't a dud in the bunch! I love the painting they used for the invitation above. "Deer Bed" is a 20x20 based on an 8x8 I did earlier this year.

Below is a photo of the back-sides of all of my August paintings with sizes listed! I cannot believe how much I accomplished. Mind you, I did have a few under-paintings prepared before we went on family holidays in July, so those were ready to go when I started painting in August. The 10x10's are already at Assiniboia Gallery and the 6x6's replenished the wall at Evrgreen Coffee and Food in Waskesiu.

© Nicki Ault, 2019

I'm delivering five new large paintings to Darrell Bell Gallery today for the big show opening next weekend. I have at least four new large paintings and four additional new 10x10's (in progress now) going to Regina on Friday to replenish Assiniboia Gallery and for their booth at Art Now Saskatchewan Art Fair happening in two weeks. I have a new batch of 8x8's building at the studio which will be delivered next week to Darrell Bell Gallery to refresh the grid in time for the weekend.

Whew!

And to top all of that off, I have been quietly working on another project that I will reveal in a matter of days. I cannot wait!

Please stay tuned and thanks for your patience as I haven't been posting much lately.