Elisabeth Nickles

Philadelphia, PA

Elisabeth Nickles

http://www.elisabethnickles.com

The archetypal sculpted shapes are reminiscent of and celebrate prehistoric plants, corals, birds and other organic forms. There is a whimsical exuberance of color and shape that rhythmically fills and expands into the space with the feeling of a surreal landscape. The shapes are born from imagination and are inspired by overwhelming beauty and the pulsing of life that one experiences when standing in a landscape or looking closely at a portion of the complexity that make up the systems that govern life on earth.

Fast Facts

Name: Elisabeth Nickles

Website: www.elisabethnickles.com

Place of Birth: Cleveland, Ohio

Education:
The School of The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1991. Diploma in Fine Art.
The Pennsylvania Academy of Arts, Certificate in Painting and Sculpture
Alfred University School of Art and Design, Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture

Significant or special training:
I studied painting privately with Bo Bartlett and Wade Schumann.

Notable or memorable instructors or mentors:
Bill Flynn
Timothy Nichols – The Museum School, Boston
Anthony Visco
Gary Weisman
Linda Brenner – The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Fred Tschida
Steve Edwards
Peer Bode
Joseph Sheer

Particular field of study or class work:
Oil painting
Sculpting and casting
Papermaking and installation

Major influences/admired artists:
Arshile Gorky
Arthur Dove
Jean Arp (his reliefs in wood)
Lee Bontecou
Odilon Redon
Juan Miro
Lee Bontecou
Shaziha Sikander
Kiki Smith
Cecily Brown

Favorite materials or media:
I love drawing in pencil and water media because it is so immediate and portable. I also love sculpting in wax and cutting paper. Using the computer to create vectors or compositions to be used to create large shapes for installation pieces is very exciting to me. Technology has allowed me to play with scale and transforming very quick processes of creation into more elaborate pieces.

School or university affiliation (when Convention Center acquired artwork):
I taught painting and drawing at Villanova University for five years and have taught adjunct at Moore College of Art, Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, Mercer County Community College and Tyler School of Art.

the artist