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Nicola McLean

Joined Artfinder: March 2015

Artworks for sale: 42

(20)

United Kingdom

Updates from Nicola McLean's studio

  • On the banks of the Foyle

    On the banks of the Foyle

    I really enjoyed painting the aerial view of London and decided to do one of my own home town, Derry, in Northern Ireland. It didn't even make it to an online gallery as it was snapped up by a Northern Irish collector of my work when I shared it on Facebook. It may have been my most sought after painting yet so I plan to do more in this style.

    02 April 2022
    Blame it on the boogie

    Blame it on the boogie

    I originally bought a round canvas because I planned to paint a wheel of the year on it but once I started to prep it I couldn't see past it becoming a disco ball!

    02 April 2022
    Infinite London

    Infinite London

    I normally work on very small canvasses so this was a bit of a change for me. It took quite some time to paint all those tiny details on such a big canvas but it was actually quite therapeutic and I was really happy with how it turned out. I'm hoping to do some more aerial abstract realistic landscape like this one - possibly my hometown of Derry next.

    14 November 2021
    Working on a commission

    Working on a commission

    I do enjoy the challenge of a commission. It's always nice for an artist to be able to paint whatever they want however they want but with commissions there is the challenging aspect of ensuring your vision also matches up with the vision of the client. Here's a photo of me working on my most recent commission and I'm happy to report that in this case we were totally on the same page with the way we wanted this subject to look! It was commissioned as a surprise birthday present so I can't show the final piece until it's been gifted but I'll be sure to share it once it's no longer a secret!

    02 August 2020
    Keystone worker

    Keystone worker

    Beavers are a keystone species which means that they have a positive influence on their environment, playing a critical role in helping sustain a healthy ecosystem. Beavers create habitats that enable other species to thrive and can help slow rivers, reducing the danger of flooding. Hunted to extinction in the UK in the 16th century, beavers were reintroduced to the Knapdale Forest in Scotland in 2009 under carefully controlled conditions with an unofficial population now also thriving in the River Tay. However, despite the beaver being awarded European Protected Species Status in May 2019 there have been at least 87 beaver killings this year as a result of licenses granted to farmers and landowners for 'population control'. This is roughly one fifth of the population of Scottish beavers. In light of these deaths over on Instagram @scotsbeavers and @xrscotland are running a campaign called @eightysevenbeavers to raise awareness and were aiming to get at least 87 different beaver paintings before 31 July. I'm adding this one to those they already have and the original is for sale in my Artfinder shop.

    02 August 2020
    The fox and the fireflies

    The fox and the fireflies

    This is another more whimsical animal painting I completed recently. I wanted to celebrate British wildlife - especially those who often get a bad rap as being 'pests' for simply trying to survive and the whimsy comes in with the fireflies which, much as I wish they were, obviously aren't indigenous to the colder climes of the UK!

    02 July 2020
    Stonehenge Solstice

    Stonehenge Solstice

    I've been moving in a more whimsical direction with my art this year, sticking with the texture and colour but incorporating a little whimsy alongside my usual subjects of animals. I'm not sure if that is a reaction to the weight of the world right now - I know I've been spending more time than usual (which is already a lot!) in my head because reality is a little heavy right now.

    02 July 2020
    Painting more people

    Painting more people

    I was initially asked to paint a client's dogs then she sent me a photograph of her husband and daughter and asked if I would paint them instead! Again, this was way outside my comfort zone but having given the baby portrait in my last post a go I decided I had nothing to lose by trying. It was definitely the most challenging commission I've had so far - my subjects usually have much more fur on their faces! But, again, I'm glad I did. The client was delighted as was her husband for whom it was a surprise father's day gift.

    02 July 2020
    Painting people

    Painting people

    It's been nearly a year since I updated my 'me at work' section but not because I haven't been painting. I've actually gone way out of my comfort zone this year and started to paint humans! I normally paint animals and sometimes landscapes but I was asked if I could paint the most adorable baby girl in my colourful style and I decided to give it a go and I'm so glad I did.

    02 July 2020
    Painting paint

    Painting paint

    This was inspired by a recent art prompt challenge on Instagram - the prompt was 'painting paint' and so, that's what I titled the painting! I surprised myself by really enjoying painting this as I don't often do still life and it's inspired me to do more.

    18 July 2019
    Rewilding - Times Square

    Rewilding - Times Square

    This is the second in the rewilding series where I imagine a future where nature has reclaimed her space and endangered animals are once again safe to roam free and wild. Both this and the Trafalgar Square painting are in acrylic on paper measuring 210 x 297mm. I had planned to do all the paintings in this series the same size but I'm really drawn to going much large for the next ones so that I can work with a more textured, looser style. As before, I haven't listed this painting anywhere yet as I want to finish the series first. But if you'd like to see the progress then you can follow me here on Artfinder and I'll post each one to my 'Me at work' section as I complete them.

    11 April 2019
    Rewilding - Trafalgar Square

    Rewilding - Trafalgar Square

    Rewild - restore (an area of land) to its natural uncultivated state (used especially with reference to the reintroduction of species of wild animals that have been driven out or exterminated). This is the idea behind a new series of paintings I'm working on called 'rewilding' only in this scenario imagine that despite being warned repeatedly, we refused to listen and the doomsday clock made it all the way to midnight (it's currently at 2 minutes to). The planet is now free of humans and rewilding has occurred naturally, the rest of the animal kingdom having once again found the perfect balance they had before our interference. Nature has reclaimed her space and all is once again right with the world. This is the first in the series where I decided to bring one of those famous lions in Trafalgar Square to life. I haven't listed this for sale anywhere yet as I wanted to finish the series first so please stay tuned for more.

    10 April 2019