Artist in Residence: Nicole Gustafsson

Colourful collections This traditional painter loves to surround herself with inspiring artwork, plants and collections

I first fell in love with the space that would become my studio when my partner and I first toured the house several years ago. Originally a dining room, the large windows provided wonderful natural light that I was seeking in a dream studio space.

Over the next six years, the room has become a painting studio, giclée printing space, storage and order fulfilment area for my online shop. I learned early on that being organised helps me feel peaceful and productive, while plants and artwork I’ve collected help me to feel inspired. Resin toys, sculptures, herbs from our garden,

Starting the morning with yoga stretches with my cat Kit has become a regular practice

and my rock collection have all found homes in my studio and continue to motivate me as an artist. Nature has always influenced my artwork and so I love to surround myself with artefacts and treasures from the outdoors.

BEING HEALTH CONSCIOUS

I found my best time to work was in the mornings after coffee and stretches. Starting the morning with yoga stretches with my cat Kit has become a regular practice to help improve my health as a working artist. It’s tempting to want to jump into painting right away, but it’s important to take care of your body too!

I usually paint for a couple of hours in the morning while the light is best. During the afternoons I pack orders for my online shop and run to the post office for deliveries. Being a small business, I also take time throughout the day to maintain my online shop, update social media and check in with clients. Afternoons are also perfect time to take a break: naps, a relaxing bath or time with our dogs is a great way to reset my focus. In the evenings

I usually paint for a couple of hours in the morning while the light is best

I like to sketch or work on drawings that don’t require colour work. By doing my sketching at night, I can have my ideas all ready to go for painting in the morning.

While I’m working, I love to listen to podcasts or have TV shows playing in the background. I find that my focus is better when I have something to listen to. However, the side effect of this is when I’m finished with a painting, I tend to remember what was playing while I was working. Even years after a painting is finished, I still retain the auditory memory and feeling of the show I was listening to, which can be awkward when you’re painting cute animals adventuring while listening to a true crime podcast.

The paintings of Us-based Nicole feature themes of adventure and exploration of our natural world. You can see more of her work at www.nimasprout.com.

xxxxxxxxx Nature influences most of my artwork, whether through realism or more fantastical ideas. I’m always losing my box of business cards, so I finally found a tray to keep them organised and easy to find when I need one. My studio faces north and looks out over our cherry trees and rhododendron bushes. I love the springtime when all the flowers are in bloom. I love visiting the Oregon and Washington coast and picking up small rocks and shells. Glass floats often appear in my art as lights or in the background.

My painting desk has an adjustable angle which I can have flat to cut prints on, or full tilt when I’m painting. The hanging light is leftover from when this was a dining space. I haven’t gotten around to changing it out for a better studio light My printers range from a giclée printer for my fine art prints, to thermal printers that make shipping labels a breeze. My studio is filled with art I’ve gathered over the years. The large cat was a character from Tiny Kitten Teeth painted by Becky Dreistadt.

Here I am painting at an angle desk with an easel for more support. Anything that might be tempted to roll off the bottom gets taped down.

I love surrounding my studio with colourful artwork from friends and to bring some of the outdoors in with green plants.

I enjoy creating artwork that revolves around socialising. Frequently, animal characters will have family around or be meeting someone.

Small shelves throughout the studio are perfect to hold treasures I’ve collected over the years. Everything from bells found at vintage shops to artwork by contemporary artists.

My cats have become my studio mates and keep me company throughout the day. While having a cat that loves to eat paper can be problematic as an artist, I enjoy their spirit and companionship.

I started collecting rocks when I was a kid and still love to pick up a special rock or mineral. My partner Galdrecraft made the wooden apothecary trays to help me organise my collection.

My computer is hooked up to a printer, scanner, label makers and more. These items are relatively lacklustre in their functionality, so I try to surround every other available space with colourful artwork.

My favourite paint to use is Holbein Acryla Gouache because of its saturated colour and smooth texture.

Creating space in a painting is a lot like maintaining a happy studio. Have everything you need close at hand and add plants.