Living by the sea has its advantages, especially when you are an artist, constantly looking for inspiration. Nikki Wheeler lives on the Kent coast, surrounded by countryside, so it is no surprise that sea and nature are featuring constantly in her paintings.
Part of Nikki’s daily routine is to observe the sea in every season, thus getting to know the subject in depth. “Warm Autumn Coast”, “Between Storms” and “Rainy Coast” are just a few titles that demonstrate precisely that.
Have you ever stopped and looked at the sea in January? Nikki Wheeler did and in her “January Sea” piece she depicted a blue, grey and stormy sea, meeting the sky at the horizon.
The movement is captured beautifully in horizontal brush strokes suggesting the waves. They occupy a big part of the painting, becoming smaller and thinner as the eyes move from the foreground to the background.
“I am incredibly touched by nature and I love the different seasons and the varying moods they create. I walk everyday and make sketches and am continually amazed at how every day the light is different, creating a different mood”, says the artist.
Rather than painting the sea as it is, Nikki Wheeler captures her emotional response to it, thus creating a bond with the viewer on an emotional level.
