Presented by Arts Center Killingworth’s Spectrum Art Gallery and Artisan Store

Nicole was drawn to surrealist art from the first time she saw a Salvador Dali painting in the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art as a child. The idea that one can reshape the world we live in to tell a tale or even escape reality for a moment has transfixed her throughout her life. Her artistic journey began with spontaneous doodles in her school notebooks and evolved as she trained under local artists during her formative teenage years in Plymouth, Connecticut. From there she attended Paier College of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, graduating with honors and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Illustration. Her paintings have been exhibited in New York City, Madison (CT), and New London (CT), and were featured as the cover art with a four-page spread in Project Exposure Magazine. Recently, her creativity has taken a new turn, embracing art through a childlike, playful perspective. Through pieces like Dream Current and Froggerfly, she explores the joy and spontaneity of life, emphasizing the value of nurturing one’s inner child with her signature surrealist twist. These pieces allow her to create whimsical creatures while highlighting the fragile yet resilient qualities of the natural world and our role in it. Nicole currently resides in New London, Connecticut, where she draws inspiration from the scenic landscapes of Eastern Connecticut and her hikes through local parks and woodlands. She teaches Fine Arts at Kelly Middle School in Norwich, where she is dedicated to helping students discover their own creative voices—just as her mentors once inspired her. Her work is currently exhibited at Spectrum Gallery in Centerbrook, Connecticut.