Written by Anna Itkonen
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Nicola Cowie is a multi-award-winning visual artist based in Perth, Western Australia. Working amongst areas of outstanding natural beauty, she is inspired by the beautiful and iconic Australian wildlife; banksias, gum trees, wrens, magpies, cockatoos and honey eaters. The beauty of the natural environment inspires her work and is strongly present in her art.
Nicola Cowie | Moody Hues | 91 x 61cm, Acrylic on canvas
“I have been an artist for as long as I can remember with supportive parents who allowed me to be creative without placing any limitations on me. I was fortunate to have teachers from a young age in primary and secondary school who recognised and encouraged creativity in the classroom outside of the scheduled art classes,” Nicola said.
Crooked Cups | 56 x 76cm, Watercolour and ink on paper
Born in the UK, Nicola moved to Australia shortly after graduating from university, spending a four-year interim living in Java and Borneo. “When we returned to Perth, I met my now business partner Kat Ferguson at playgroup, and things have grown from there. We now co-own an art gallery in Guildford called The Artists Nook, where we showcase our work and use it as a base to grow our joint and respective arts businesses, starting with art workshops in store for our customers and on-location for other arts groups and local government.”
Pandemonium 6 of 6 | 42 x 59cm, Linocut print on paper
Nicola went to art school with the initial idea of becoming a jeweller, a thought she later regarded as a “misguided notion that it was the easiest way to make a career from art”. She became familiar with printmaking during her studies, and from her first printmaking class, she knew this was her home.
Jemima (2 of 10) | 42 x 59.4cm, Hand coloured linocut on paper
“The tactility and process of printmaking was a revelation, and I spent the next three years in the studios learning from master printmakers. I was introduced to screen-printing, lithography, etching, dry point and relief printmaking. Every process excites me, and there is so much satisfaction from producing editions.”
Magpie Vase | 29.6 x 42cm, Linocut on paper
Her art practice uses drawing together with ink and paint, making her medium multimedia utilising printmaking or drawing alongside watercolours. “I find endless satisfaction in juxtaposing light-filled and textural effects of watercolours against the flat and structural relief print or drawn ink linework.”
Flowing Over | 29.5 x 24cm, Watercolour and ink on paper
Nicola finds inspiration from her surroundings; the collected objects, the found things and nature, a source of endless inspiration. She has also described her affinity with art deco and art nouveau works, fabrics, posters and objects.
Finch and Mulla Mulla | 51 x 51cm, Acrylic on stretched canvas
“When sketching a linocut or painting, I let it happen organically. Sometimes I will translate what I see in a landscape or still life, other times, I will have an idea to represent a certain bird or flower which isn’t in front of me. As much as I love a black relief print on white paper, I do love colour and mixing colours. It is endlessly satisfying.”
Seafront Cottages | 31 x 41cm, Watercolour and ink on paper
Nicola was one of the featured artists on the 2022 season of The Block. Her art was chosen for Scotty’s house which was the original farmhouse on the land used for The Block.
A Spoonful of Sugar | 50 x 60cm | Ltd Edition Print
“The highlight was the call from Nancy [from Art Lovers Australia] to tell me that Scotty had picked one of my pieces for his project. I was completely taken aback as when I watched those shows in the past; I didn’t see how my work could fit with their aesthetics. To know that my work has a place in a dream home was a thrill, especially as it was Scotty’s renovation!”
Bird and Blooms | 31 x 31cm, Acrylic on canvas
For Nicola, art is a way to highlight the joy and appreciation of everyday life and objects often overlooked and underappreciated. “It is natural for us to be drawn to certain people, objects, flowers and colours and collecting beautiful things is a human trait, so I suppose I see my art as a way to represent and celebrate those things.”
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