Nikki Loy

What is your professional name?

My name is Nikki Loy.

Where were you born and does that place still influence you?

I was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Most of my work is influenced by living in North Carolina.

Where do you live now and how does that place influence you?

I live in Hope Mills, North Carolina. My community influences me greatly.

Do you have family, friends, or fellow artists who support you in your work, life and art making and how do they make a difference in your life?

My husband, family, and community do support me. Most of my work is about natural disasters or events that affect relationships within a community, like tourism destinations. Their stories and experiences influence the atmosphere of my work.

When and how did you start making art?

I was very inquisitive of my sibling’s homework as a child. I would mimic my sister’s cursive handwriting. My love for drawing started there.

Can you describe the time when you first realized that creating was something you absolutely had to do?

The school system used to have art competitions every year and the work would be displayed inside of the mall. I was probably in the 3 rd grade when I realized it was important for me to make work to share with an audience.

Why do you make art now?

I make art now to process and share moments from events that have been life altering to either myself or a specific community.

How has your work changed or developed over time?

Photography has been a huge help in my professional development as an artist.

What are you trying to communicate with your art?

I think people need to see tourism destinations as more than places to vacation. Many of those landscapes are threatened by natural disasters and climate change. It is important that people see how their involvement with these places affects the community.

Do you have any creative patterns, routines or rituals associated with your art making?

I research images of landscapes on social media and the Internet to best explore composition. I like to learn about the people who live in a place and their local culture in order to develop a story.

What element(s) of art making do you enjoy the most and why?

I like the planning process in my sketchbook. I will make several sketches of an image to build out my painting and then start working through color theory by making swatches.

What is your most important artist tool(s) and why?

My computer and my camera are my most important tools at the moment. I use Photoshop to make collages and mood boards to make visuals.

How do you know when a work is finished?

I take many breaks while I work on a project. It is important for me to look at different pieces of art when I am working so I remain critical of my own work to avoid overworking the project. I think it is easy to get sidetracked during the art making process by reworking a problem because I want to achieve a particular aesthetic. I will overshoot my goal and it becomes frustrating because I will start to change the entire piece. It helps to take a break to critique someone else’s work and then use that mindset to look at my own, and it keeps the process balanced. I can always go back and rework something, but it is not always necessary.

What are the art making tools you use now?

I use a camera to capture images for my work and then paint them in acrylic on canvas.

What new creative medium would you love to pursue?

I would like to learn more about film photography.

Do you make a living from your art?

I am not actively selling my work, but I am making a living teaching art lessons virtually online to children and adults. The lessons are live using online platforms such as Zoom and they are usually one-to-one. I focus on using the elements and principles of art and design as a way of self-expression. Adults tend to have this idea of what kind of art they can and cannot make. My goal is to get them outside of their comfort zone to see what they are actually capable of creating. When I work with kids, it is like teaching them another language to express themselves, but with art instead of words.

What strategies could you share with other artists on how to become successful professionally?

I love to make small talk with people about the art they enjoy looking at and making. It has been a great way to see if people are interested in improving their artistic skills. When they are looking for lessons, it is best to be friendly and carry a business card to make a lasting impression.

What are your goals for the future, for both work and life?

I am currently researching graduate programs for clinical counseling. I would love to own a wellness center and art gallery that uses expressive arts to help people.

What interesting project are you working on at the moment?

I am working on a series of acrylic paintings of floods from hurricanes that have made landfall in North Carolina over the last five years.

What or who inspires you?

People inspire me. I am interested in the way they live their lives and pick themselves back up after something big and disastrous happens to them. Their stories are always inspiring.

Do you have a favorite – or influential – living artist?

I like the work of Michael Reedy. His background in medical illustration keeps me

interested in figure drawing.

What work of art do you wish you owned and why?

I have always enjoyed looking at historical maps. I would like to collect old maps from around the world.

Where do you find ideas for your creative work?

I find different ideas from researching travel destinations and reading about world events.

What does being creative mean to you?

Being creative means looking at making art as a constant opportunity rather than something I have to do.

What is the best advice you ever had about how to be more creative?

It does not matter if you don’t love your work. It is not always going to be a masterpiece. What matters is that you keep making art.

NikkiLoyArt@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/NikkiLoyFineArt/

Jeanette’s Pier Oil pastel on watercolor paper

Hope Mills Dam Acrylic paint on canvas

Highway 12 Acrylic paint on canvas

Coquina Beach Acrylic paint on canvas

Gray’s Creek Acrylic paint on canvas