ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE :
NIKKI GRIFFITH
COMING TO ART LATER IN LIFE , NIKKI GRIFFITH FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE CREATIVE PROCESS WHEN TAKING WATERCOLOUR LESSONS IN HER RETIREMENT . TODAY , NIKKI USES WATERCOLOUR , ACRYLICS AND MIXED MEDIA TO CREATE ART RICH IN COLOUR HARMONIES , WHIMSICALLY DEPICTING NATURE , LANDSCAPES AND COASTAL SCENES .
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you would describe your artwork .
I began my journey by attending art classes , workshops and courses by artists I admire . First starting with watercolour , I progressed to acrylics and pastels and eventually to oils . I then discovered collage and mixed media , an approach I love for its looseness and the way the art journey ends up in a destination one couldn ’ t quite imagine at the beginning . I love being immersed in the process ; I feel that I am still learning and hope I never stop .
One of the joys of being an artist is how the world opens up for you . When I first started I never imagined my art journey would take me to sketching on Mount Delphi , painting in Spain , teaching and being very involved in local art societies . I have met , connected with and made very good close friends – it has broadened my mind and gives me joy .
Tell us a little about the process of creating your work and the techniques you use .
With watercolours I like to work very loosely and rarely tape my paper down ( sacrilege to some I know !) as I like to tip it in all directions to encourage the watercolours to flow and move in a more natural way . I rarely sketch either and prefer to ‘ draw ’ with the paintbrushes . If I do draw , it ’ s often with a fine black pen or a ‘ dip ’ pen and even twigs . Recently I painted three paintings by painting with twigs using liquid charcoal for the outline and then watercolours . Liquid charcoal is one of the most challenging mediums I discovered a couple of years ago and it is so unpredictable and therefore a very exciting medium !
I use acrylics in many ways – thinly like watercolours and also very impasto , but always loose and impressionistic in the way I apply the paint .
For my mixed media I have become a hoarder – something that goes against my nature but I squirrel away papers from magazines , old maps , Amaretti papers – I seem to have a very wide selection - colour coordinated , of course - to choose from . I also create my own papers using gelli printing or pouring inks onto tissue paper .
Landscapes and scenery seem to feature a lot in your art , why do you think they inspire you so much ?
My favourite subjects are nature , landscapes , seascapes and seaside towns and villages , so the Kent coastline is a wonderful inspiration . I love Dungeness for its bleak wildness . Cornwall , which is full of interesting places , has inspired many of my paintings and having grown up in Guernsey , there are similarities between the two .
I also enjoy still life but in a most free and easy way and I paint flowers taking inspiration from my garden as I am a keen gardener – to me gardening is painting with flowers . Over the years , I have painted all sorts of birds too including chickens , birds of paradise and birds of prey . When it comes to wildlife , you name it I have painted it .
Where can we see / purchase your art ?
On my website www . nikkigriffithart . co . uk , or I am always delighted when people visit my studio – but please call in advance to make sure I am in .
07788 204940 nikkigriffith4 @ gmail . com
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