Its always great to get to know a new artist, and its time to introduce our first international Make Your Mark Competition Judge!
It was lovely to back and forth with Nicola Jane – a UK-based artist who mostly works in coloured pencil and graphite.
“I am a wildlife artist, living in Yorkshire. Happily married with three sons, I have always drawn and am just very lucky to be able to just draw what I can see, with my one and only passion being wildlife. I returned to art after my middle son left school, who has Autism, and a career in schools as a 1:1 with children with Autism, a job I loved. My art enables me to be at home where I am needed, the flexibility I require and to try and make a living at the same time. As many artists, I have found my work has evolved over the years to the pieces I complete now and took a while to finally have a clear direction in which I want my work, and career, to go. I am hoping this starts to show through in my work, and the new pieces I produce.”
Nicola’s work revolves around her passion for conservation and she is actively involved in multiple projects and contributes as much as she can.
I asked her about a normal day in her life:
“On an average day I wake up early, complete the household tasks and try my best to be working for 9am, or thereabouts. Having my work desk in the living room helps as I can just pop on and off when I have spare time to do a few minutes on a piece. I try to work until 1 or 2pm and then finish to start the food and tea for everyone. After tea, usually around 6pm I will try to fit in a few more hours work, or work on my lap drawing table on something small whilst watching the TV with my family. That is what I aim for, doesn’t always work out that way but I always feel like I have tried, and always tell myself just how lucky I am to be able to do this for my living.”
Nicola admits that she has only ever been inspired by animals.
“I can draw people, landscapes etc but just do not like to. When choosing what animal, it is purely down to the image that must grab me and make me go wow! I will have an idea in mind of what I would like to draw, or a composition in my head. When I find the correct images that is where it stays. As my work has evolved and I have a clearer image of how I want my work to progress, the animal in mind also has to be in some way in need of conservation or help, so I can highlight this cause. This is the area I still find very tricky and difficult as I always feel I am stating something obvious, or people will judge me for what I am saying, but hopefully that will become more second nature, and not feel so awkward, it is just finally nice to have a clear direction in which to take my art and feel I am finally doing some good with it.
Highlights in my career? Well, there have been a few! Having five pieces in the DSWF Wildlife artist of the year final, on three different occasions is absolutely one of them, as well as having pieces chosen to be in the online exhibition of the Artists for Conservation three times and absolutely being chosen as a Sketch for survival 100 finalist twice now are the top three. Just to feel part of it all is truly amazing, and humbling, I can never quite get over the proud feeling that it evokes, and to have pieces exhibited in London amongst some truly amazing artists, it’s just inspiring! I have set myself goals that I would love to achieve and that keeps me going and trying harder every year.”
I asked Nicola if there is anything she finds disappointing in the art industry and what she does to deal with creating even when she feels low.
“It has to be all of the AI work that is now, sadly, being churned out and that people look for, be it artwork or imagery. It is a slippery slope and as an artist, very demoralising. It can make you think what’s the point! But on the other hand, I follow so many amazing creative artists and conservation organisations that truly inspire me and want me to keep trying to create pieces that draw attention to either their conservation cause or artists that simply inspire me to work harder to improve my own art and to take more risks in my style.”
Nicola says she cannot do without her graphite pencils. “I love to work in coloured pencil, and am starting to try some oils as well, but I truly love graphite, and is always my first choice for an image. I love the challenge of trying to capture everything in an image, and make it work, with just one colour, so could absolutely never do without my graphites.”
Lastly I asked Nicola if there is a funny story relating to her art journey she wanted to share. “
Not so much funny but one that has stuck with me to this day. When I first started my artwork I attended a show, prepared so much stock and then sold 1 print! That was it, but never deterred I carried on and at the next show a gentleman was looking at my work, called over his wife and said’ look at these, aren’t they lovely’ to which she simply replied ‘it’s just pencil!’ and walked away. That absolutely floored me and still is vivid in my head. I could have easily given up but now use that as inspiration to show what can be achieved with just a simple pencil and have tried to become more hardened to that fact that sometimes you will only sell a few items at a show, but am now far more grateful for just someone to like what I have produced, and if they buy a piece I am able to contribute towards a cause and help in my own way.”
Thank you Nicola – I love that story. And thank you for giving us your time and attention – we cannot wait to share the artworks with you!