Graduating from Glyndwr University with a BA with Honours in Fine Art in 2007, Nichola worked primarily with chalk pastel, charcoal, pen and ink, but took up acrylic flip cup and Dutch pours as a way to relieve anxiety. "In October 2019 I took the Sheleeart Fluid Art course after seeing Shelee’s work on Instagram. I was in love with the style of pouring, I was absolutely fascinated and needed to know more. Luckily, I had an understanding and supportive partner and was allowed to practice this obsessively, 7 days a week. 2020 arrived and so did the pandemic, so I continued this obsession for even longer, guilt free. I became pretty good at it, as a result.
"2020 was an incredible year for me and my Fluid Art journey. I grew a massive following on Instagram and it was a great distraction from what was going on around me. My work travelled further than I did, that’s for sure! Things have slowed down since then and my focus and priorities have shifted, but my passion for creating still remains."
Nichola started using resin around the same time she started pouring acrylics: "I absolutely love the effect that resin has on my work: it amplifies my paintings' appearance, my colours are intense and my colour shifting pigments pop again, just like they’re still wet. It’s worth the extra time setting up to get those outstanding, timeless results."
Using the techniques she learned in her course, Nichola creates her own pouring medium to increase the fluidity of acrylic paints and pigments. First, she layers her colours on top of a base of white paint, then adds a cell activator. Once the activator is in place, Nichola blows it down and outwards across the coloured paints to create round bubbly cells. Once she's satisfied with the composition, Nichola spins or tilts the paint across the canvas to stretch the design out.
Nichola feels grateful to have a home studio she can go to whenever there is a spare moment to create her art: "Ideally, I’d love to create art everyday, but for now I’m happy with the odd day here and there whilst I enjoy my new role as a Mum."
"Creating is fundamentally part of who I am and I don’t feel like myself if I am not being creative in some form. I create for myself primarily -- I’m obsessed with colour and shimmering pigments. If someone wants to buy it, then that’s a bonus! I’d like to think my work brings joy into someone's space."
Nichola currently sells her work through Etsy but as she is getting busier and busier with her, she's moving towards getting a website and online shop set up soon.
Visit her Etsy Shop: NikkisFlowArt
Congratulations on your win, Nichola!
To celebrate our amazing resin artists, every month we send out a 32 oz kit to a couple of folks who have tagged us on Instagram—and then we share their work with the world!
Don't forget, tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next winner!!
ArtResin: Made For Artists, By Artists.
