I was born in Manchester and grew up in the North West of England, where art was woven into the fabric of family life.
I studied Theology at Durham University and later Fine Art at the University of Worcester. Between the two degrees, I worked as a freelance editor and writer, most recently in communications for the Anglican Church.
At Worcester University, I specialised in ceramics and focused on sculptural forms. However, I later returned to my first love of painting, driven by a lifelong fascination with colour. I studied oil painting at Malvern Hills College and the Norfolk Painting School.
For 15 years, I taught art while maintaining my own practice. I was part of the Artist Teacher Scheme run by Birmingham City University and exhibited alongside fellow artist teachers at The New Art Gallery Walsall. Teaching teenagers was a richly creative experience, but I came to realise that I needed more time for my own art. Since 2019, I’ve worked full-time as an artist, developing both my painting and gold leaf work.
Still life, particularly flowers and fruit, has long captivated me, largely due to my interest in colour and form. A three-year residency at Spetchley Park Gardens, near Worcester, following the Covid pandemic, became a generous source of inspiration for many of my floral pieces.
I particularly enjoy planning and curating themed solo exhibitions, and have been fortunate to do so at Spetchley Park Gardens and Worcester Cathedral. This year we moved from Worcester to Ledbury and I am currently working on a series of paintings on the food and drink of Herefordshire.
You can follow my work in progress on Instagram and Facebook @nicolacurrieartist.
Exhibitions and Licensing
I have exhibited widely in the UK including the Mall Galleries, London, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, New Gallery Walsall, the Bath Art Fair and 16 Gallery Cheltenham. Abbey Galleries in Tewkesbury and Pershore. Worcester Cathedral, Carlisle Cathedral, and Spetchley Park Gardens have also hosted solo exhibitions of my work and my collectors can be found in the UK, USA and Europe.
White Court Art and Sixteen Online Galleries also exhibit my work, and you can see my work in progress on my Instagram page.
My extensive fine art card range is licensed by Colcards and available across the UK.
Artist Statement
Why I Paint
I have been captivated by colour for as long as I can remember. As a child, I would sit entranced as my father, who worked in textiles, brought home fabric swatches in endless palettes. I saw how the same pattern could be transformed entirely through colour. That fascination still drives my work today. The intense blue of the stained-glass windows at Chartres Cathedral was another formative moment, setting me out on a lifelong creative journey.
What Inspires Me
My paintings begin with the natural world, particularly flowers and still life. I’m drawn to the quiet poetry of everyday objects: a single egg, a fallen bloom, a forgotten ceramic pot. These seemingly ordinary things invite us to pause, to notice, to wonder. In a visually noisy world, I hope to create space for stillness and reflection.
My three-year artist residency at Spetchley Park Gardens, near Worcester, deepened my connection to botanical subjects. Now based in Ledbury, I’m surrounded by the beauty of the Malvern Hills and Wye Valley, landscapes that continue to inspire my work.
How I Work
I primarily paint in oils on fine linen or museum-grade panels, using the highest quality pigments to achieve vibrant, lasting colour. In recent years, I’ve incorporated gold leaf to create reflective surfaces that add depth, richness, and a sense of reverence to the everyday.
My process draws from classical techniques, layering glazes and playing with luminosity, as Turner did, but my palette and compositions are contemporary. Other influences on my paintings are Japanese prints, religious art, Dutch still life, and the Scottish Colourists.
Each painting is built slowly and thoughtfully like a piece of music or poetry.
Themes
A recurring theme in my work is the idea of seeing: how we look, notice, and interpret the world. Before becoming a full-time painter, I was Head of Art at a college for the blind and visually impaired. That experience profoundly shaped my understanding of perception. Reflections and implied narratives often appear in my work, inviting viewers to consider what lies just beyond the surface.
You can read more about how I work in this online article by Candylion
If you are a member of the SAA you can read about how I create my gold leaf paintings in their magazine Paint and Create.
