about the artist

Hi, my name is Nicole Norman! I am an artist, illustrator & visual merchandiser located in Southeastern Connecticut. I’m a hoarder of hobbies and craft supplies. In my free time, I enjoy roller skating, baking (mostly cupcakes- I make a darn good buttercream frosting!), and reading. I love spending time with my family and our two German Shepherds, Murphy and Ollie.

about my art

My work explores and celebrates human emotion, color, and movement.

I always dread the question of “why” I create art, or what my art means, because in my mind I don’t really separate myself from my art. Painting is how I process my emotions and appreciation for the world around me. It’s how I’m able to express what I’m otherwise unable to articulate- thus my work is simply an extension of myself. Why did I draw that person/place/thing? Simply put, it’s because looking at that person/place/thing evoked an emotional response in me that I am seeking to capture visually.

I can never really stick to one discipline or style- I love both colorful abstractions as well as more grounded figurative works, but one thing is constant- my artwork is a moment of feeling, an invitation for viewers to embark on their own emotional journey. Through my art, I aim to invoke introspection and curiosity about the nuances that define both our individual and shared human experiences in this big, beautiful, terrifying world.

education & influences

I am a graduate of Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts, where I majored in Illustration.  In my time at Syracuse, I studied under tremendous artists like James Ransome, Jerome Witkin, Bob Dacey, and Yvonne Buchanan, all of whom inspired and helped shape my creative worldview.

Other influences include Egon Schiele, Vincent Van Gogh, Bill Sienkiewicz, Pablo Picasso, Alice Neel, Rudy Gutierrez, Max Ernst, Edward Gorey, Lee Krasner, Dave McKean, Wassily Kandinsky, Grace Hartigan, and Tim Burton.