christienicklay.com

Contact: cmnicklay@gmail.com

“To be an artist is to believe in life.” — Henry Moore

I’ve been creating art in some form all of my life. As a child, I carved birds out of clumps of dirt, created finger paintings of mud on the concrete outside my father’s dairy barn, and used my crayons to make new colors instead of just “coloring inside the lines”. Through the years, my “tools” have evolved and my desire to make art has grown into a much deeper curiosity of the things and colors I see every day. I’m inspired by what’s around me…by life’s simple pleasures.

For me, painting and drawing create a special relationship between my surroundings and my perspective on it. The combination is an inkling of a story waiting to be told. I become lost in the process as I work to transform the vision inside my head into something meaningful and recognizable on my canvas.

My artwork is a visual journal of the moments in life that have made me stop in admiration. My goal is to capture the beauty, to enjoy it again and again, and to share it with those who also appreciate life’s simple pleasures.

My process relies on observation and even more on imagination. Sometimes I trust my eyes to tell me what to put down, how to draw it, how to paint it, what is important, and what to leave out. I also rely on my camera to freeze that moment that caught my attention.

My artwork reflects my appreciation for the beauty of life that surrounds me. If just one person feels the same appreciation from my artwork, then I’ve successfully met my goal.

Curriculum Vitae

Christie Marie Nicklay

Born in Southeast Minnesota, Christie Nicklay is an emerging artist who works primarily in acrylic, watercolor and colored pencil, but also enjoys dabbling in pastels and oils. Her artistic journey began as a child when she would draw anything and everything on whatever she could find. As she grew, she had dreams of being a doctor, but her father encouraged her to attend art school, where she acquired her Commercial Art and Fine Art degrees.

Now, with an art studio at home, she dedicates time to painting and drawing a variety of subjects. Her diverse subject matter is inspired largely by the life around her. Christie’s art captures the essence of her subjects and conveys an appreciation for life’s simple pleasures.

Education

• Globe University/Minnesota School of Business, AAS IT/Web Development, 2014
• Penn Foster University, Diploma of Fine Arts, 2011
• Western Wisconsin Technical College, AAS Commercial Art, 1986

Associations

• March 2018 to Present: River Arts Alliance, Winona, MN
• Dec. 2016 to Present: Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN

Selected Group Exhibition

• 2017-2018 Homegrown: 2'x2', Rochester Art Center, Rochester, MN
• 2015 Fiddle & Frog Friends & Family Day, Stewartville, MN

Collections

• Private collection, Avery, IA
• Private collection, Holmen, WI
• Private collection, Rochester, MN