Nicki Ault

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.

ARTIST STATEMENT

“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.”