Answer:  First, I enjoy anything creative and work in many media. I choose the medium to suit the effect I am trying to achieve. Oils work well for more realistic artwork. I enjoy water based mediums for my Impressionist style artworks. I often get commissioned to create sketches of people and their pets, and I love using pen and ink, pencil, and pastels for those creations. My children's books often are a blend of pen and ink, colored pencil, and art markers. I don't set out to create a particular style, but generally people refer to my work as Impressionist, which I love!

Regardless of whether I'm asked to paint a particular subject (such as the Eiffel Tower in "Bon Jour") or if it's a subject that I'm doing for myself (like Venice in "Gondolier of Venice"), each time I start a new work, I first enjoy the essence of my subject, and then I let my intuition do the rest. It's fun to celebrate each subject with beauty, passion and joy, and it's a treat when people look at my work and say, "It makes me feel so happy!" 

I love working with color and movement to create engaging compositions, and if I can put in a few extra hidden smiles and meanings, I will. Sometimes companies that license my work ask for a specific color palette or size, and sometimes companies give me free reign. Either way, I love it, and from each work I learn new things. I was every bit as happy painting "Bon Jour" as I was creating "Gondolier of Venice", so in terms of the joy of creation, the source of the inspiration becomes secondary to the spirit of painting - once I have that paint brush in my hand, I am in my own happy little world. I also love painting to music, and I have some 'favorites' on my music list that get me started on each painting I create - from stretching the canvas to mixing the paints to carefully applying those last daubs and finishing touches of paint on the canvas.

Question:  Where can I learn more?

Answer:  My main website is at www.Nicole.bz