Nicki Ault

Overview

Nicki Ault’s breezy landscapes and vistas capture the radiance of golden light as it slips from view or illuminates primal expanses rendering them even more vibrant with the intensity of the sun’s unencumbered attention.

Ault’s gentle works present a myriad of snapshots of sparkling light, moody form and an undertone of serene optimism that offer up dreamy samplings of everything there is to love about the raw beauty of nature and all that is naturally perfect. In layers of light that are at once fiery and ethereally calm, the artist’s pieces are sparkling tableaus, drenched in colour and stillness.

 

With easy brushstrokes and feathery lines, Ault renders the quietude of nature into a breath-like state, casting soothing, softly focused scenes. Highlighting the simplicity of wide-open spaces and seashores, bringing the outside in, almost achingly close, Ault casts illusions that float before viewers like windows to all the places on earth where one can breathe a little easier.

 

“Landscapes untouched by human presence, but which deeply touch the human experience are what fuel my art practice. Recording on my canvases the moments from the natural world that cause us to stop in our tracks, to stare in wonder, to gasp in awe, to feel love, that is my ultimate goal.  Although I aim to be representational, precise realism is not my intent, but rather to create a collection of marks that express how I see and feel the subject in that moment. I am increasingly interested in patterns, rhythm and light and I whole-heartedly embrace colour as a source of joy.  These things come together to infuse energy and movement into what could otherwise be a static landscape vision. I want the viewer to stand close, explore the brushstrokes, then step
away to see the work as a whole. My hope is that my paintings will feel intimate and familiar by tapping into a private memory that will connect the viewer to the image, to our powerful Canadian environment, and to me.”

Works
Biography
Nicki Ault is a contemporary Canadian artist who has always loved art and began to pursue painting as a profession when her youngest of two sons started Grade One in 2010. Her creative freedom increased with each year, and she now works fulltime in her private studio in Saskatoon.  Nicki has an intense love for the boreal forest, northern lakes, big skies and wild grasslands of Saskatchewan.  It’s in these places she finds endless inspiration for her paintings. Nicki considers herself to be a lifelong student of art, always determined to learn, grow and keep moving forward. Over the last ten years Nicki has been diligently building her skills in drawing, colour theory and oil painting and, although largely self-taught, she has gained invaluable knowledge through workshops taught by excellent instructors.  She continually challenges herself to convey the nuances of light in her landscapes and always seeks to infuse love and emotion into each brushstroke.  A feature was written on Nicki’s work in Canada’s Galleries West magazine in 2019 and in 2020 she was named a SaskGalleries “Artist to Watch”. Nicki was recently one of 45 international artists published in a book entitled “Painting Our World: Personal Stories of Artistic Ingenuity and Triumph” and in early 2023 experienced her first artist residency at the Residence Inn By Marriott Calgary Downtown | Beltline District. She is represented by four professional Canadian galleries (Regina, Winnipeg, Oakville, Calgary) and, in the summer season, shows her work in Waskesiu, P.A. National Park.  She is proud to maintain a dedicated art practice and build a growing art career, believing it’s important for her boys to witness this "better-late-than-never" pursuit. Nicki hopes they will learn valuable life lessons in perseverance, setting goals, working hard, facing fears and never giving up. Most importantly, that they will be inspired to chase their own dreams.