Nicki Ault
2024, Artist In Residence
“I enjoyed 6 glorious weeks in residence at Caetani Centre, fully immersed in the creative process. The house and property were a magical setting, complete with a family of deer, busy squirrels and a wise old owl that hooted at dusk. The property’s natural setting allowed me to connect to the landscape, be present in the moment and let my passion flow with very few interruptions.
By the time my residency was complete, my warm little studio was bursting with 24 finished paintings! That's the beauty of a residency; it’s all about staying in the creative zone for a good length of time so the artist can make progress, grow, and develop new ideas much more efficiently than at home.
Thank you Caetani Centre!”
Artist Bio
Nicki Ault is a contemporary Canadian artist who began to pursue painting as a profession when her youngest of two sons started Grade One. Her creative freedom increased with each year, and she now works full-time in her newly established private studio in Saskatoon.
Nicki has an intense love for the boreal forest, northern lakes, big skies and wild grasslands of Saskatchewan. It’s in these places she finds endless inspiration for her paintings. Nicki considers herself to be a lifelong student of art, always determined to learn and grow. Over the last decade Nicki has been diligently building her skills in drawing, colour theory and oil painting. She continually challenges herself to convey the nuances of light in her landscapes and always seeks to infuse love and emotion into each brushstroke.
In 2019 a feature was written on Nicki’s work in Canada’s Galleries West magazine and in 2020 she was named a SaskGalleries “Artist to Watch”. In early 2023 Nicki was offered a two-month residency at the Residence Inn by Marriott Calgary/Beltline District where she lived and worked, creating a collection of 44 paintings. In February 2022, Nicki was contacted by the editor of International Artist Magazine and invited to create a 6 page “Demonstration” of her painting process. Her article was published in the April/May 2024 issue of the long-running global publication and marked a huge milestone in her career.
She is currently represented by three well established professional Canadian galleries (Regina, Winnipeg, Calgary).
Artist Statement
“Through much self-reflection, I’ve come to realize that I’ve spent years dismissing important personal traits; shrugging them off because they felt somewhat intangible or abstract and were often diminished by others. During the pandemic I learned about Highly Sensitive People and Empaths and suddenly so much of my life experience found clarity. In actual fact, the part of me that ‘senses’ things is very real, accurate and reliable. Subsequently, I also learned about the role the natural world plays in the lives of attuned people.
Something very special happens within me when I’m surrounded by nature. It’s a feeling of coming home, safety, peace and acceptance. I feel understood. There is no judgement. I feel like I’m being charged-up with love. When I’m at the lake, by a river, in the forest, watching a sunset or standing on a country road feeling the power of a prairie storm, I experience a deep connection to life. I absorb the energy of the moment, save it and then try to articulate it via paint on canvas. I attempt to release the love from that moment onto the canvas.
These are the things that make me a unique individual and artist.
Although there are many subjects I could paint, I have come to realize that this is why the landscape is the only subject I feel compelled to paint. It’s the conduit for me to feel love and reflect it back to the world in my own voice.”
~ Nicki Ault
2024 - Enchanted Eve, 36X48"
2024 - Jade Bay, 10-X10"
2024 - Wildness, 36X36"
2024 - Spellbound, 24X60"
2024 - Amber Moon, 36X48"
2024 - Transfixed, 30X60"