Featured Artist Nikki Carr

Enjoy painter Nikki Carr’s impeccable portfolio that celebrates her great love of animals. See more artwork by visiting her website.

 

 

I am a realist artist, drawn to convey a sense of spirit or emotion in all my subjects. They range from the human form and face to animals, both large and small.

 

 

I have a particular interest in equine and wildlife subjects and enjoy capturing the play of light and shadow or an expression of emotion or movement. I do not paint to make a statement or as a commentary on our world. Rather, I paint to reflect the beauty and wonder that is all around us.

 

 

Originally from New Zealand, I now reside in the United Kingdom. I’ve been fascinated by faces and figures, both human and animal, as far back as I can remember, and relished my art education at school. My artistic journey, however, took a long and winding road. I earned several music degrees and had a rewarding musical career before picking up a paintbrush again. During this time, I continued to develop my awareness of shape, form, light and shadow. When I finally returned to my easel many years later, it felt like coming home.

 

 

I am often asked, “Where do you start when you begin a new piece?” and my answer is almost always, “With the eye.” For me, the eye is truly the window to the soul. It is here that I will find the character, emotion and often, the beginnings of a conversation. I will not move on until I have captured everything that I want to say with the eye. This in turn usually informs how I approach the rest of the painting.

 

 

I am also endlessly fascinated by the relationship between the structure—both skeletal and muscular— and the surface of the body. This is particularly evident when I am painting a horse. They are, by nature, a contradiction with sublime beauty and softness on the outside, and a muscular structure capable of enormous power and strength beneath.

Capturing this duality is both a passion and struggle that is likely to last a lifetime!

 

 

The majority of my work is either in oils or in charcoal. I enjoy the colour and freedom of oils, but also the more restrictive black and white palette when working with charcoal, using only light and tone to express form.

 

 

More recently, I have begun to experiment with 24ct gold leaf as a background to some of my oil paintings. I love the interplay between the gold leaf and the paint. I build up the leaf in many layers to create a beautiful swirling texture that reflects light in many directions. Looking at it from various angles gives the viewer a multitude of different effects.

 

 

As well as taking on commissions, I release several collections throughout the year on my website and exhibit regularly at United Kingdom and International Contemporary art fairs.

 

Artist Nikki Carr invites you to follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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