Hi!

Hydrangea Arrangement

19 x 13.5"

acrylic, oil and oil pastel on terra skin paper

© Nicki Ault, 2015

sold

Well hello!!!

I have been sick. Seven days in an altered state. Not fun. Not pretty. As far back as I can remember when I get a head cold things become real bleak. My sinuses are hijacked and my eyes water uncontrollably while my head pulses to a less than enjoyable beat. NyQuil and Dristan are my best friends during these times and the best attempt I can make at bathing is a cold cloth on my eyes. Everything else is put on the back-burner. 

Now that I have come out of the other side of that virus-laden hell I am SO ready to paint it isn't even funny! I just have to find time because now the kids are out of school and getting to the studio is not easy.

Hydrangea and Lemon

21.5 x 15.75"

acrylic, oil and oil pastel on water colour paper

© Nicki Ault, 2015

sold

In the meantime, here are the still-available paintings I had in a show at Hues Art Supply a year ago with Bridget Aitken and Jackie Miller. They are a series of floral still lifes which were a great time of experimentation for me. Right now they are available at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery.

White Bucket Bouquet

24 x 18"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2015

available

I look forward to having some new work to show you soon. Thanks for your patience!

Floral Still Lifes At Lifestyles

summer display
Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery

So this is happening! Darrell Bell saw the group show I was in at Hues Art Supply with Bridget Aitken and Jackie Miller and he thought my floral paintings were fresh and summery so he asked if he could have them for his art and design boutique for the summer! One of the paintings sold at Hues, but the other three can be found at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery for the next little while. It is a beautiful store, full of colourful, vibrant, creative gift-ware. In the above image you can see the paintings displayed with gorgeous French pillows and throws.

Available at Lifestyles By Darrell Bell Gallery this summer:

Hydrangea and Lemon
sold

White Bucket Bouquet

Hydrangea Arrangement
sold

Hydrangea Arrangement

Hydrangea Arrangement

19.5 x 13"

acrylic, oil and oil pastel on terraskin paper

© Nicki Ault, 2015
sold

I am getting really excited. The show for Hues Art Supply goes up on Monday. Here is the first painting I have to show you. This is the second exhibition of work I will be showing with my friends Bridget Aitken and Jackie Miller. In planning for the show the goal was that we try something new and push ourselves out of our comfort zones. We ended up focusing the theme on still lifes. Jackie and Bridget, as it turns out, are much more adaptable than me. I struggled with the change from my landscape routine. To be honest, I actually find still lifes to be a bit of a yawn-fest. Despite this, I rallied and decided to add flowers to the table of pottery, books, vases, fruit, onions and other inanimate objects that we set up as still life vignettes at the studio. As soon as that pop of colour was added to the mix I began to get inspired.

Besides the challenge of a new subject, I found other ways to push/torment myself. I painted almost exclusively on paper surfaces, I worked solely on rectangular formats when I am more accustomed to painting on squares, and I mixed up my media. Some of these experiments didn't make the cut, but others had some pleasing qualities.

Through the self-doubt and struggle that took place in preparing for this show, I realized yet again how much I have to learn about painting and creating. The way I see it, it is better to know this than to not know this. I feel empowered. I feel like I can't help but move forward in my art-making because I am open and ready to try. I am willing to take a chance. I am willing to see what might happen if I step into the unknown. But I also know myself and I have observed the way I fight change and worry desperately about failure. I am coming to realize that, for me, these things go hand-in-hand. I don't think the desire I have to improve, grow and develop can exist in a pure state. Where this desire exists, in the background will always be some element of stress and agony; the fear of not actually being able to improve, grow and develop.