African Birdlife was thrilled to feature Nicole Sanderson’s art in the September/October 2023 edition of our print magazine. Unsurprisingly, it became one of our most popular issues. Here, we showcase ‘Poetry in Paint’ in the gallery below, including paintings that we didn’t have space for in the magazine. Enjoy!
In Nicole’s words:
If I am not painting, I am thinking about what to paint.
Since I was six years old, I have known without a shadow of doubt that I would be an artist. I grew up on a beautiful farm skirting the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe where nature was my nurture. Our outdoor life with dams, rivers, cycling, tractors, motorbikes, and rearing abandoned and sick wild animals taught me that nature was the core of being and the core of my creativity.
About 10 years ago, after much experimentation with portrait and figurative painting early in my career, I revisited the origin of my inspiration. Re-inventing my portfolio and work on a body of paintings of birds enlightened my soul with movement and visual poetry.
I try to work from a place of inspired action, waiting for an idea to sit comfortably in my mind and mentally work around compositions, colour combinations and on a mood I am attempting to set. I usually start with a playful background and as the piece evolves, I get into the intense detail. It feels like a good balance of fun and focus.
My husband, my eight year old daughter and I now reside in beautiful Victoria Falls. Living here perfectly ties my enthusiasm for birds, art and nature together.
