By Danielle Kutchel
Some might say it’s madness to start a business during Covid times – but for Nicola Sue, the time was right to make a change.
Formerly a staff member at Myuna Farm, Nicola has long had a passion for art and painting in particular.
In fact, several of her murals can be seen at the farm.
But Covid gave her a new perspective on life, and she decided in late 2020 to “start the chapter I always felt I was…supposed to do”.
“Covid made me think that life is short…there are no absolutes in anything, so you’ve just got to do it,” she explained.
She now runs Nicola Sue Art, offering canvas and paper prints, murals and cushions featuring her unique, bold and detailed paintings.
As a child, Nicola could be found with “a chicken under one arm and a brush in the other hand”.
Animals continue to fill her pieces, although she also draws inspiration from nature and paints native flower scenes.
“I love farm animals, but I’ve always been drawn to nature and bird life,” Nicola explained.
“When I was little, we used to do bird observing walks. I loved that as a child and it gave me a feeling of peace, tranquillity and joy. In a world that lacks a lot of that I try to create that. I think the world can do with more of that,” she said.
The Warragul-based artist’s pieces adorn the walls, furniture and garden of the family home in Botanic Ridge, and mother Sally couldn’t be prouder.
“I still wonder how she does it. I think it’s so beautiful, so detailed, how did she do it?” Sally said.
“I separate myself from being her mum to looking objectively and thinking, ‘how?’”
Sally said Nicola showed talent from the age of two, and had a sense of perspective in kinder, adding depth and distance to her paintings.
The murals in the house include an undersea scene of sea creatures, another of native animals, and a desert scene inspired by the Australia Garden at the Cranbourne Botanic Gardens.
“The murals bring joy, they are so colourful and vibrant, and the light moves with them,” Sally said.
Nicola said she has always had a “bold sense of line” and has never been frightened of colour, leading to her vibrant artistic style.
Dynamic lines and patterns, symmetry and strength define her pieces.
Painting has taken on new meaning thanks to the pandemic, offering relaxation and mindfulness to many.
“Maybe I was always inclined to innately understand that,” Nicola mused.
For more information, visit www.nicolasueart.com.au or find her on Facebook at Nicola Sue Art and Instagram at nicolasueartdesigns.
