After graduating from Social Studies in France, Nicole made a sharp turn and decided to follow a career as a window dresser. She studied fine-art for a while at: Ecole-des-Beaux-Arts" in Toulouse. This southern French town also called "The Pink City" because of its pinkish tiled roofs, is equally known as: "The City of Violets". The delicate fragrance of a special variety of violet is used in the perfume industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as in
confectionery and cooking.
After moving to the United States Nicole discovered
digital painting in the 90's and fell in love with it, creating images
with a mouse or (rarely) a tablet. Fantasy subjects are her favorites! She paints by using her intuition to the fullest, listening to her
inner voice, letting her mind wander. In other words, she does not plan any painting really,
but let her subconscious pick some blotches of colors, some shapes that soon will develop into greater details, later to become important pieces of the artwork. It is not unusual for artists or writers to begin this way, invoking the muse! :-). Some artists, such as Cezanne and Rodin often spent a
long time staring at their subjects before painting or sculpting. After a
while, their consciousness would find interesting images hidden in the object of interest.
She draws inspiration from many things including traveling. She is drawn to old gardens as they retain memories from the past; all flowers, all trees, seem to exude memories. Cemeteries also hold special appeal to her, nothing dark about it, she just finds these places to be very peaceful and serene since early childhood, offering a very special beauty. Sometimes even insignificant objects like a rusty key, an old door, or a ray of sunshine on an old bench can all trigger a burst of creativity.
Some of her artworks, the colorful line of butterflies for instance, were heavily influenced by listening to light Opera and the cross-sensory associations triggered by involuntary "Synesthesia". Most of her butterflies are set in a stage-decor atmosphere similar to the stage settings associated with Opera.
Synaesthesia (or Synesthesia) is a condition in which two or more bodily senses are
coupled. "Music-synesthesia" when a person will perceive colors in response to sounds.Close to sense-fusion. "Emotionally Mediated Synaesthesia" is about involuntary Synesthesia, auras and received a lot of attention at the UC Berkeley ASA conference in the UK in 2004. There are many other forms, some fun, some not so fun. It is said that artists might
be prone to experiencing synesthesia, recent research suggests that we
all have some capacity for it. This trait apparently may have set the stage for
the evolution of abstraction.
Through the arts, the synesthetic experience becomes
communicable, and blended with a personal vision as seen in all art and products created by Nicole. She hopes that you'll enjoy her world.
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After graduating from Social Studies in France, Nicole made a sharp turn and decided to follow a career as a window dresser. She studied fine-art for a while at: Ecole-des-Beaux-Arts" in Toulouse. This southern French town also called "The Pink City" because of its pinkish tiled roofs, is equally known as: "The City of Violets". The delicate fragrance of a special variety of violet is used in the perfume industry, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics as well as in
confectionery and cooking. 
