Great Start to 2020!

High River

24 x 36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2020
available at Webster Galleries

 Fading Light
36x48"
oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2020
available at Webster Galleries

Well hello! Many apologies for my absence. 

I have been painting LOTS and as a result January was a blur. I was on a mission to get several large paintings done for Webster Galleries in Calgary and then deliver them in person in early February. Mission accomplished! On top of that Assiniboia Gallery had a rush on 10x10's so I painted more to replenish their inventory. Same thing happened with Darrell Bell Gallery and the 8x8's.

Here is a list of the work I pulled off in January to give you an idea of why that month was a blur:

As soon as I returned from the road-trip to Calgary, I got down to business and got a couple of pieces ready for a new show at Darrell Bell Gallery which is on now!

The painting in the lower left corner is mine, the grid of 8x8's is full and gorgeous, plus you will see this brand new piece:

Clear Northern Light

24x36"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2020

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

The opening has come and gone, but the show will be up for a few weeks, so please check it out. The invitation mentions big changes, so here is what's happening: the street level gallery has now merged with the fourth floor gallery and all art and operations are officially in one place! As a result, if you need any 8x8's in the future, be sure to go up the elevators to the gallery in the Canada Building.

On top of all of that, SaskGalleries just launched a new promotional video and, much to my surprise and excitement, one of my paintings was featured! It's a fun, high energy video showing original art incorporated into everyday life. View it here and be sure to have your sound on. Watch for my painting "The Golden Hour and the Old Boat Dock" being hung at the end of the video.

Finally, when you have a minute, pop over to my website, www.nickiault.com , which has recently been updated with all of the newest work and available inventory. I'd love it if you would sign up for my emails/newsletter, too. I still haven't sent any yet, but I will at some point!

Thanks for catching up with me!

New Growth at the Old River

New Growth at the Old River

10 x 10"

oil on panel

© Nicki Ault, 2019

sold at Assiniboia Gallery

I love the vibrant, new growth on the tips of evergreen trees in the spring. Such a hopeful sign. This painting has a very different feel than the smaller study, "Three Little Evergreens", which I painted last fall. Here, I let the warmth of the underpainting show through and I included a few dandelions - another sign of spring!

Available as part of the feature Assiniboia Gallery is exhibiting of my work for the month of March.

Sparkling Water, Waskesiu River

Sparkling Water, Waskesiu River

30 x 40"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2018

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

Oh, this one makes me happy.

The water. The water turned out.

Come see it in person at the opening of "Painting The Landscape" TODAY from 5-8 pm at Darrell Bell Gallery. So excited!

Three Little Evergreens, Spring at Waskesiu River

#8 - Three Little Evergreens, Spring at Waskesiu River

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2018

Daily Painting Project III
sold

Ever since we did the landscaping in our yard a few years ago I have enjoyed watching plants grow again. Among our new perennial plants and shrubs, we had one tree placed in the corner of our yard; a little weeping Spruce. For the last two spring seasons I have been intrigued by the glorious colour of the new growth on the tips of its branches, so when I went to the lake in May, I really took notice of this same thing on the little trees in the forest. These sweet evergreens on the edge of the river made me really happy.

Rocks on the Edge, Waskesiu River

Rocks On The Edge, Waskesiu River

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2018

available at Darrell Bell Gallery

This was delivered to Darrell Bell Gallery yesterday with nine other 8x8 paintings. I have never painted the rocks on the edge of the Waskesiu River before, so this is a first. I am trying to look at the river in new ways, so this was a fun experiment and I am pretty happy with the results. 

When I dropped the work off Laura predicted that this one will sell by next Saturday. We shall see.

Autumn Embankment, Waskesiu River

Autumn Embankment, Waskesiu River

8 x 8"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold at Darrell Bell Gallery

More textures. This was exciting to paint. A very different take on the Waskesiu River for me and not the side of the bridge that I usually gravitate towards.

Diamonds on the River

Diamonds on the River

36 x 36"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2017
sold at Assiniboia Gallery, Regina

I thought I posted this already. Thankfully I realized I didn't. I posted it on Instagram, but not here.

I love this one! It was delivered safely to Regina a week ago and will be at Art Now - Saskatchewan Fine Art Fair this weekend in the Assiniboia Gallery booth with some other smaller pieces of my artwork. I am hoping to get down to see it all this weekend. I know the first annual Art Now, which was in Saskatoon last year, was absolutely beautiful. It was visually stunning! I expect this year to be the same.

Please attend if you are in the area and look for my work at both Assiniboia Gallery and the Saskatchewan Craft Council Booth.

Gosh I feel happy these days!!!

Shimmer, Waskesiu River

Shimmer, Waskesiu River

6 x 6"

oil on board

© Nicki Ault, 2017

sold

I first painted the Waskesiu River in 2009 and I recall the sunlight was shimmering and sparkling on the water. Since it is one of my absolute favourite places in this great country, it seemed fitting that I paint another shimmery version on July 1st, Canada's 150th birthday. I like this one.

A Show In St. Catharines, Ontario!

paintings heading to St. Catharines, Ont.

photo © Nicki Ault, 2016

I am so excited to tell you that I have been invited to participate in a show in St. Catharines, Ontario! This is my third time showing my work out-of-province and I am so appreciative of this opportunity. I was contacted last month by the Producer of the show and once I got the details I knew I had to find a way to make it happen. With her more-than-generous offer to allow me to ship my work directly to her and then her offer to return any unsold work back to me, I knew my answer had to be "yes"! She certainly didn't owe me any such kindness- we have never met or spoken before. She is just an artist doing another artist a solid. I am most humbled by her generosity of spirit.

The show is on Friday, September 16th as part of the HandMade Market running that same weekend at the 13th Street Winery in St. Catharines, Ontario. The show is called "A Square Affair" and is comprised solely of 12" x 12" pieces of original artwork. I am so honoured to be invited along with about twenty-nine other artists to have my work offered in this unique show; artists such as Kim Rempel, Jennifer Elliotson, Jennifer Woodburn, and Barbara-Jean Lovell. Wow! You just never know where each day will lead you! 

Here are the paintings I sent for the show:

Golden Reflection, Lynx Lake

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

sold

Prairie Layers

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

sold
 

Severe Weather Warning

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

available
 

The Riffle, Waskesiu River

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

sold
 

Thistles And Wild Spaces

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

sold
 

If you happen to live near St. Catharines try to see if you can make it to the show on Friday, September 16th. All of the pieces are being sold at a set price of $195.00 + HST and are on a first come first served basis. There is a viewing of the art starting at 11:00 a.m. but work is not officially for sale until 7:00 p.m. with a queue starting at 6:30 p.m. It sounds like so much fun!

Note: This is a really great price for many of the works in the show. My 12x12's usually sell for $300.00.

The Riffle, Waskesiu River

The Riffle, Waskesiu River

12 x 12"

oil on cradled panel

© Nicki Ault, 2016

sold

I love painting this river. It is amazing how it has changed over the last few years. Not that long ago it was so high and rushing so fast that there was no tall grass at all to be seen near the edges let alone in the middle of the river. And now the rocks and "riffle" are exposed. There is a beautiful hike I have done with my kids that starts along one side and goes deep into the forest, then comes back toward the river to a boardwalk that passes over the river and continues on the other side. One section of the trail has several signs that warn of wolves. I have seen wolves on two occasions in all my days at the lake and one time actually was at the edge of the forest along the road approaching the river. Makes me think those signs on the trail are legit!

As They Drive Away, I Settle In!

off they go!

© Nicki Ault, 2016

I rarely make blog posts that don't involve showing you a painting, but today is an exception. I am on holidays! Like actual holidays. Like holidays from real day-in-and-day-out life as I know it!

You see, I have four days at the cabin to myself. My family was with me on the weekend, but they left for home yesterday and I stayed behind. Don't get me wrong, I will miss them. I love my boys. But I am embracing the quiet. And, people, it is quiet. Not silent, but quiet. There is nobody arguing about who is sitting too close to who on the couch, or making poop and fart jokes (when does that end?), or squirting water from a water bottle at an unsuspecting brother, or not answering me when I ask a question (cue husband). The cabin is tidy; I cleaned right after they left and it will stay like this. And I am not responsible for feeding anyone. Just me. And there are enough cooks in the restaurants up here who would like to feed me that I may just take advantage of that!

As I type this morning, I am sitting on the deck lake in my jammies and fleece jacket (it is a bit cool), drinking coffee (unfortunately I make a lousy cup of joe) and listening to trees rustle, birds chirp, and people jog and bike by (probably what I should be doing instead of blogging). I feel calm and relaxed. This is what I needed. For awhile now I knew I needed something and now I know what. I needed me. The me that is the other side of being a wife and mother. The me I used to find at the Emma Lake Kenderdine Campus. The me that slowly gets tucked away in the daily operations of life.

Yesterday afternoon, when my holiday got underway, I gassed up the van and took a drive to McPhee Lake, the Waskesiu River and a few other scenic places I enjoy. In the evening I set up and began painting for an upcoming show- more to come on this exciting opportunity.

my lake studio

© Nicki Ault, 2016

I felt giddy and silly. I rarely take selfies, but last night the mood struck.

no make-up, no hair product, no worries

© Nicki Ault, 2016

awkward angle back of head selfie

© Nicki Ault, 2016

looking up at the trees from the deck

© Nicki Ault, 2016

blurry, starting-to-lose-my-light shot

© Nicki Ault, 2016

end of evening fire pot

© Nicki Ault, 2016

I will get the paintings I need for this particular show done today and tomorrow because they have to dry in time for shipping, then I will get my little boards out and go on a few painting adventures! Please come back to see what comes of my holiday!

Looking To The Rapids, Waskesiu River

Looking To The Rapids, Waskesiu River

30 x 40"

oil on canvas

© Nicki Ault, 2015
sold 

HaPpY ThAnKsGiViNg!!!

It is hard to believe that it is already that time of the year when we stop and give thanks, but it is... it is Thanksgiving in Canada. I am celebrating with my family today and feeling so grateful for all of the opportunities available to me and my children in this great country of ours. I am so proud to be Canadian; so proud of our multicultural communities and so proud of the stunningly gorgeous landscape we live in. It is difficult not to well up when I stop and pause for a minute to reflect on how good we have it here. I am grateful. 

The above is my newest large painting. It was a challenge as I went from a summer of 6x6's to a 30x40 with no transition in between. It was a bit of a jump, but I am happy with the end result. The Waskesiu River was a real source of inspiration for me over the last several months.
I hope you like it.

Waskesiu River

Waskesiu River

sold

I did this painting the other day at the studio thinking it could be a companion piece to the last painting I posted. It is also 7x7 and acrylic on canvas. It is done from a photo of the Waskesiu River that I took this summer. In the end the painting wasn't about the clouds, but about the mood and colours of blue which hopefully relate to "View From A Clearing". Once this was completed and I stepped back I almost had the sense that it could have been an evening scene- dusk at the river under the stars. I enjoyed painting it and have two more 7x7 sky paintings to post in the coming days. They are both of a lighter nature than these last two.

 I was planning to make a post last night when the kids went to bed, but thank goodness I didn't because who knows what I would have ended up writing! Yes, it was one of those nights. Seriously! And it was blueberries that brought me to my knees! Here is the story:

My husband was out for the millionth time in the last month and there I was with my sweet boys once again doing the "routine". I picked them up from school, let them play at the playground, headed home, got them a drink and snack, did some reading with them, let them play, made supper, heard about how they didn't like what I cooked, listened to complaining all through supper, excused them from the table, cleaned up the dishes, (sigh), let them play on the computer while I took the opportunity for some down time. What did I do with my down time? I mopped the floors and cleaned a toilet! Yes, I am lame. And let's just talk about this cleaning the toilet business for a minute. I grew up with two sisters so I was not privy beforehand to the vital information that when you live with 3 boys cleaning the toilet actually involves more than just that. It, in fact, also involves cleaning the walls and floor surrounding the toilet! And when I went to tackle the job I glanced at the lid, which was down, and said "Hey, guys, is this pee on the lid?" Yup, turns out it was! My seven year old had to go so badly he just started going before he realized the lid was not up. Sigh... and sigh again.

At supper time I had decided to pull out some frozen blueberries for the kids to have with a little ice cream as an evening snack. I was quite proud of myself planning ahead and thinking it would be a real yummy treat for them. I'm such a good mom, I thought. They will really like this and gobble it right up. Well when I called them to the table just before jammie time I was met with sounds of disgust and horror. How could I not have known they would have wanted their ice cream in a separate bowl as opposed to right in with their blueberries. It looked so gross. They just wanted ice cream and how come it was so small? And where were the sprinkles? So I did what any burned out mom would do... burst into tears! Ahhhhh, the sweet release of pent up emotions! And just as I was beating myself up (internally) for raising such inconsiderate little creatures, they both rushed to my side with concern wondering why I was crying (they really didn't know). They rubbed my back, hugged me gently, stroked my hair, kissed me so so softly on the cheek and said such calming words like "It will be okay mommy" and "take a deep breath... in... and out" and "get mommy a blanket".

As I sit and write about it today, more removed from the situation, I am realizing that their earlier rudeness was not taught to them by me... really it was their own immaturity talking and it happened at the end of the day when coping skills are stretched thin (theirs and mine). After all they are still pretty little. But what has hit home is that in this situation they actually did show me what they have learned from me. Empathy, compassion, concern for another. I might mess up blueberries and ice cream, but it turns out, I am still a good mom.