About the Artist
Nicole Russell is an award winning artist who loves painting in watercolour because of their transparency and fluidity.
Nicole likes to paint what she sees and loves to paint outdoors (en plein air) or, when the weather is not favourable, she enjoys painting in her studio. During the painting process she observes the light as it affects different objects and emphasizes these light observations in her paintings. Also, her paintings show strong contrast. Many of Nicole’s paintings are about local scenes of the Nelson/Tasman area.
In Annapolis, USA, Nicole was originally trained in drawing and watercolour painting, especially Watercolour Journaling. When she moved with her family onto their sailboat “Blue Raven” and started travelling from the USA to the Mediterranean and back through the Panama Canal to New Zealand, Watercolour Journaling was her favourite way of quickly capturing her experience on paper.
Nicole has exhibited in the United States and in New Zealand. Her paintings received Awards and People’s Choice recognition. She has been a guest speaker on different events and accepted several commissions.
Nicole’s studio is located in Ruby Bay/Tasman, where she teaches private lessons in watercolour painting. Also, she offers workshops on request at different locations. Her artwork is permanently on exhibit at Wall To Wall Art Gallery, Nelson, and Mapua Gallery, Mapua. She is a working artist member of the New Zealand Academy of Arts, the Nelson Suter Art Society, the Art Group Nelson (president 2019-2021), the Marlborough Art Society and the Otago Art Society. Nicole coordinates the weekly painting locations of the plein air painters in the Nelson/Tasman area.
