About Nicole

Nicole grew up on a small farm in the Snowy Mountains in an exciting and challenging environment surrounded by horses and mountains. Through studying a Management course at university she gained a scholarship to work and study in England and spent time travelling in Europe. She has worked as a horseback tour guide and polo groom among other things, as well as in administration. Returning to Australia she worked in recruitment placing people in positions in the horse industry before marrying. Her husband has managed large cattle properties in the Northern Territory and western Queensland and she has lived with him and their children in some of the most remote places in Australia. Challenges of schooling, supplies, drought and flood have all been faced along with many more. It was this environment that inspired her to draw on her creativity to engage with the landscape in which she found herself. It created an identity for herself, separate to that of wife, mother, school teacher and the many other roles of a women on a remote cattle station.

She says...
"I constantly see inspiration around me and am drawn to scenes which explore the diverse and vast landscape of Australia through simple and unadorned views.  Endlessness, repetition, enclosure and expanse are themes which I endeavor to capture on canvas".

Through this creativity Nicole has found herself in many suprising and interesting roles working with community groups and organisations including art gallery organisations, business organisations, local government, p & c associations, not for profit artist organisations and more. 


Nicole and her family recently swapped the dry western plains for the green hinterland of the coast and are enjoying the contrasts in lifestyle and landscape.




CV
Associations
*Vast Arts Inc - member of the Management Committee
*Flying Arts Alliance - member and Regional Representative
*NAVA (National Association for the Visual Arts) - member
*Maranoa Regional Council Regional Arts Development Fund - Committee Member 2011 to 2012
*Mitchell on Maranoa Gallery Committee - President 2010 to 2012                               
*Mitchell Arts Council - Secretary 2010 to 2012
*Charleville School of Distance Education - Management Committee

Workshops and development
Securing Funding - a Museum & Gallery Services Qld workshop, invited speaker
Bunginderry Artist Retreat with Noel Miller
Connecting you in the regions – a NAVA Connect course
Art as your business – participant in Flying Arts workshop 
RADF workshop – participant  in workshop for RADF Committee members
Freestyle drawing – participant in Jude Roberts workshop
Exploring Acrylics – participant in Pam Black workshop
USQ McGregor Summer School 2012 – participant in Clive Sinclair mixed media and plein air painting workshop
Kenilworth Art Workshops 2011– participant in Minimalistic Landscapes workshop with Pam Black
Gallery etiquette with Bettina McCauley – how to hang, display and handle artwork
Drawing and media – participant in Joan Hurtado workshop
Landscapes with feeling – participant in Des Rolph workshop
Foundation watercolour – participant in Bill Morton workshop
Artsyakka – participant in Qld Arts Council forum in Roma, Qld
Travels with my Paint Brush – participant in Flying Arts workshop with Catherine Parker
Sculpting the Form – participant in Flying Arts workshop with Cezary Stulgis
Naturally Resourceful Women program participant

Exhibitions
Solo exhibition - 'Explorations' at Pomona Railway Gallery January 2019
Solo exhibition - 'hARTland' at Butter Factory Arts Centre in Cooroy April 2018
Solo exhibition - 'hARTland' at Gympie Regional Gallery April 2017
Group exhibition - 'Life. Place. Red dirt' at Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts in Brisbane April to May 2015 and then touring galleries throughout Queensland until July 2016
Solo exhibition - 'Dusty Retro-Speck' at Quilpie Shire Council Gallery May to June 2015
Solo exhibition - 'Boundless Aspects II' at Gatakers Art Space in Maryborough Qld, July 2014
Group exhibition - 'The road less travelled' local artist exhibition at Grassland Art Gallery in Tambo Qld, August 2014
Solo exhibition - 'Boundless Aspects' at Feather & Lawry Design Gallery in Toowoomba Qld, Nov 2013 to Jan 2014.
Group exhibition - 'ART 150' local artist exhibition at Grassland Art Gallery in Tambo Qld, August to September 2013.
Solo exhibition - 'momentarily' at 9 Wills St Charleville Qld, August 2013.
Solo exhibition – ‘Forest for the trees….’ at Grassland Art Gallery in Tambo, March to May 2013.
Solo exhibition – ‘Field of Vision’ at Emerald Regional Gallery in February 2013 and Springsure Bicentennial Gallery March to June 2013.
Joint exhibition – ‘TRIumph: feminine heART’ with Kathy Ellem and Tammie Saunders at Roma on Bungil Gallery November and December 2012.
Solo exhibition – ‘Fresh’ Brown Gully Gallery in Roma, May 2012.
Solo exhibition – ‘Field of Vision: Carnarvon’ at Injune Creative Artspace October and November 2011 and at Spingsure Bicentennial Gallery in July 2012.
Solo exhibition – ‘Natural Place’ Brown Gully Gallery in Roma, March 2011.
Joint exhibition - ‘Women and Wine’ with Sharleen Keating  at Brown Gully Gallery in Roma, July 2010.

Awards
Invited speaker - Museum & Gallery Services Qld workshop in Longreach 2014
Recipient of Cultural Award at 2013 Maranoa Regional Council Australia Day Award ceremony
Invited speaker - 2012 Naturally Resourceful Women Conference
QRRRWN Conference Cultural competition – 2nd place painting section, 2nd place wearable art section
Taroom Dawson River Art Exhibition 2011 – Highly commended Open section
Landmark Art Show 2011 – 2nd Prize Local section
Mitchell Show 2011 – 1st prize open art section, Highly commended Landscape section
Qld Regional Art Awards 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 - participant
Mitchell Show 2010 – Encouragement Award local art section, 1st and 2nd prize in photography section

Career
*Executive Officer of Booringa Action Group, a community and business organisation in Mitchell Qld focused on improving the lifestyle and commerce of the town.
*Project Officer of Vast Arts, a non profit organisation based in western Queensland that supports artists by providing opportunities for development and viability.
*Editor of Bottle Tree Bulletin, a monthly 20 page publication by Maranoa Regional Council.