Nicola is a professional artist from South Norfolk
Well known for her dramatic yet intricately detailed pastel paintings Nicola shows her comprehension and mastery of the equine form.
Her knowledge and understanding comes from her lifelong love of horses and she counts herself extremely lucky to have owned a few horses and ponies throughout her life, which has led to her familiarity with their temperament and conformation. This shows in her portrayal of these fabulous beasts in her intimate pastel paintings.
She sat on her first pony at two years old and from that moment her complete and utter obsession began. "There is nothing like burying one's head in a horse's neck and breathing that familiar smell to make all things right in the world" she says.
Her studio is in a converted stable block which used to house her horses not so very long ago.
Whilst horses remain her absolute passion, she also loves to paint dogs, fulfilling commissions of many different breeds.
Nicola uses pastels, loving their immediacy and vibrancy. She lays down an "undercoat" with soft pastels, then meticulously builds up several layers of the hairs in the coat with pastel pencils, with each portrait taking at least 40-50 hours, and a great many very sharp pencils!
