Painting nature at its finest

Brightwater artist Nicola Reif can’t remember a time when she didn’t draw. “I have always loved nature and am constantly captivated by the creatures that live in it. These days I pour that love into my art,” she says.

With a Master’s degree in Palaeontology followed by years as an underground mining geologist in Australia, Nicola arrived back in New Zealand with her husband and children sixteen years ago and in 2016 began to take her artistic side seriously by painting pet portraits.

“Living on a rural property beside a river with an abundance of native birds and bush, I soon realised that I was developing a love affair with the feathered creatures around me,” she says.

Nicola creates her fine and detailed works in pastel. “I don’t like the fuss of mixing colours,” she says. “With the huge range of pastels available from around the world, there is an almost infinite colour palate to choose from.”

Developed from the chalk paints of pre-historic times and used since the Renaissance by some of the greatest painters throughout history, pastel is simply colour with a binder. “I prefer using soft pastels for the backgrounds, which can be blended beautifully, and pastel pencils for the details,” she says.

In a remarkably short space of time Nicola has achieved international acclaim by becoming a Master Circle Member of the International Association of Pastel Societies and been awarded Master Pastelist status in New Zealand. She is also the most recent winner of the New Zealand branch’s Master Circle Division exhibition.

After capturing each animal or bird with her camera, Nicola embarks on detailed drawings. “I just love to draw. It is so relaxing,” she says, “and my studies in biology at university are a great advantage in providing me with technical insight into the structure of my subjects. I also spend a great deal of time observing them.”

A small painting takes around forty hours to complete and as more people become aware of her skill, Nicola’s work is becoming collectable. To ensure that her art is more readily accessible, she offers a range of high-quality prints and cards. These, along with some original pieces are available on her website, through local co-operative ‘Wall to Wall’ Gallery in Bridge Street of which she is a member and a select range of galleries throughout the country.

Nicola also offers workshops and private tuition, keen to spread the joy of painting in pastel and skills she has acquired to others.

“I update my projects on social media which gives people an insight into my art life and the stages paintings move through,” she says. “It is exciting to see the increase in interest for the results that can be achieved through use of this magic pastel medium.” nicolareif.com