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Nicola McLean

Joined Artfinder: March 2015

Artworks for sale: 42

(20)

United Kingdom

Updates from Nicola McLean's studio

  • The view from my studio on a sunny Friday

    The view from my studio on a sunny Friday

    This is the painting I'm currently working on using a reference photo taken by a talented local photographer who kindly gave me permission to use it. It's a strangely lovely day on the far north coast today especially as further down the country it's snowing!

    29 April 2016
    Northern Lights background - work in progress

    Northern Lights background - work in progress

    I've started a new painting today - another larger one at 50 x 76cm (30 x 20 inches). I used fine art acrylic spray paints to create a night sky full of stars and the wonder that is the aurora borealis - my favourite sky to paint! Although I've just recently moved into my shiny new art shed, when it comes to using the spray paints I stick to the garage - as you can see the garage floor tells the story of every canvas that has been sprayed there so far! The next stage will be adding the subjects which I'm looking forward to starting this weekend.

    15 April 2016

    My new art studio!

    Technically this video depicts my husband hard at work rather than me but the end result is so that I now have a place to call my own for painting. Until now, I painted at the dining table which as any artist who does that will know, is a pain when it comes to having to clear it all away in time to set the table for tea! Over the last year my husband has been collecting old pallets and upcycled materials from work colleagues and friends including windows (a trip to the recycling plant even resulted in the two round washing machine windows!) work surfaces, and even the colourful storage unit! The only materials he had to purchase from new were for the corner posts for the frame, the roof (living in the far north of Scotland where the winds are strong it needs to be secure!) and the insulation and inner panels, all the rest was upcycled! I moved my art stuff in on 1 April (no joke!) and I absolutely love my new art space.

    08 April 2016
    The centre of the universe

    The centre of the universe

    This painting was inspired by a photo my husband had taken of my sister's springer spaniel, Skye, running through the water. Because I've been indulging my love of the cosmos in a series of surreal paintings recently I thought it would be fun to have her running through the stars with the world in her mouth instead of a tennis ball! I chose the title both because animals pretty much are the centre of my universe and based on the old notion that planet earth literally was the centre of the known universe. This is one of the largest paintings I've done so far and I really enjoyed painting this size although I have a gazillion canvasses of varying sizes of tiny so I'll be painting in all sizes for some time to come!

    07 April 2016
    Spirit Animals - a series

    Spirit Animals - a series

    I've always been fascinated by Native American culture and the way that they respect the earth and all its inhabitants. Animal Spirits are tied in with the Native American Indian belief in Animism which is based on the spiritual idea that the universe, and all natural objects within the universe, have souls or spirits. An animal spirit is believed to be a supernatural power that embodies the traits of the animal. The animal spirit is also regarded as a guide who might appear in dreams in the form of an animal. An animal spirit, or spirit guide, walks through life with a person, teaching and guiding them, and in some instances protecting them. I love this idea and on discovering that one of my own spirit animals is the deer I decided to start with a stag and work my way through each animal as it pops into my head. These aren't currently for sale but will be once the series is complete.

    09 February 2016
    The winner of the Scottish SPCA Pet portrait fundraiser

    The winner of the Scottish SPCA Pet portrait fundraiser

    During July and August I ran a JustGiving fundraiser and everyone who donated was entered into a draw to win a custom pet portrait. We managed to raise £518 in total for the Scottish SPCA which I'm delighted about. This is me with the finished portrait of the winner, a lovely chocolate labrador called Koko, who sadly crossed the rainbow bridge a few years ago. His person was over the moon with the portrait and loved the fact that he seemed to be looking out from the stars.

    10 October 2015
    Close up of impasto texture

    Close up of impasto texture

    I've just finished a commissioned painting of the northern lights dancing in the skies above the rugged coastline of Caithness where I live. I love to use thick impasto paint in my art, so thick it's almost like a 3D sculpture on the canvas and I thought I'd post this close up shot of one section of the painting to show just how thick the paint is.

    16 September 2015
    Combining my two passions - art and animals - to raise funds for the Scottish SPCA

    Combining my two passions - art and animals - to raise funds for the Scottish SPCA

    I've recently created a JustGiving page to raise funds for the Scottish SPCA animal shelter where I volunteer. Anyone who donates just £1 will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a custom pet portrait of their own dog/cat/small furry animal. 100% of the proceeds will go to charity. This is a lovely wee write up about this fundraising project, in my local newspaper recently. If you'd like to donate please visit www.justgiving.com/NicseARThforanimals. A winner will be drawn on 31 August 2015. Many thanks Nicola.

    25 July 2015
    Putting the finishing touches to 'Becoming history'

    Putting the finishing touches to 'Becoming history'

    This is me adding the finishing touches to my recently completed painting 'Becoming history' inspired by an image that popped into my head during a meditation (who knew an added benefit to meditation was finding even more artistic inspiration!) This painting is much more abstract than my usual animal art with the rhino depicted in a cave painting style against a vibrant and heavily textured background.

    31 May 2015

    a timelapse of an impasto strawberry - #1 in the 'five a day' series.

    This is a short timelapse video of a recent impasto painting I did of a strawberry. This is a bit of a departure for me in terms of subject matter as usually I paint animals and landscapes. However, after reading an article in a magazine about strawberries not only did I get the urge to eat some I also had a light bulb moment about how the texture of the strawberry would lend itself to my favourite impasto painting technique. I hope you enjoy it and thanks to my husband for editing the video and putting it all together with music and text!

    29 April 2015
    Handle with care

    Handle with care

    Just getting another small landscape painting carefully wrapped ready for the postal journey to its new home.

    01 April 2015

    Time lapse of a tiny landscape - Rispond Bay, Sutherland, Scotland

    This is a tiny canvas measuring 5x5cm and I decided to paint from one of the photos I'd taken of Rispond Bay on the north coast of Scotland. I used a lot of artistic licence however by turning day to night and sunshine to moonshine! This is an example of my process for painting landscapes in impasto - obviously the larger the canvas the longer it takes and the larger the palette knife!

    17 March 2015