My name is Nicola and I am a self-taught​ artist and creator, specialising in realistic coloured pencil wildlife and pet portraiture.



I've always been creative. As a child I would write poetry and short stories, which became song lyrics as I moved into my teenage years and learnt to play my own music on guitar and keyboard. Writing was my therapy. My way to express myself and cope with life's struggles.

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As an adult, polymer clay, wire and beadwork also became a passion of mine, creating original sculptures, pieces of contemporary jewellery and beautiful beaded flowers in my free time.

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I've always had health issues throughout my life but nothing really stopped me from doing what I wanted to do until I became disabled in my early 30's. This left me unable to do a lot of the things I used to enjoy.

Creative writing was no longer possible due to severe cognitive dysfunction, wirework was incredibly hard on my painful hands and I was struggling to work with the tiny seed beads I loved so much.

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That's when I fell in love with coloured pencils.

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Drawing was something I could do from my bed. I could take my time, doing something I love, working in layers and resting inbetween. It helped to focus my mind on something other than pain and I discovered I was actually pretty good at it.

The Artful Zebra was born!

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Since then I have learned to work with and enjoy a variety of fine art media. I love the expressive nature of watercolour, the blendability of soft pastel and the control and precision of coloured pencils. Most of all I love to create beautiful and emotive pieces that make people happy.

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