Please have fun searching our Limited Edition catalog - using the search button (the magnifying glass icon) you can search by theme (Eiffel Tower or swan or sunflower or hummingbird or Italy or Leonberger or horse or dog or whatever!) or by artwork name.  Part of the fun is discovering new works!  We hope you enjoy the Impressionist artwork of M. Nicole van Dam.  Please visit www.Nicole.bz to learn more!

M. Nicole van Dam

Artist, Author & Lyricist

Question:  What style art do you create and what medium do you use?

Answer:  First, I enjoy anything creative and work in many media. I choose the medium to suit the effect I am trying to achieve. Oils work well for more realistic artwork. I enjoy water based mediums for my Impressionist style artworks. I often get commissioned to create sketches of people and their pets, and I love using pen and ink, pencil, and pastels for those creations. My children's books often are a blend of pen and ink, colored pencil, and art markers. I don't set out to create a particular style, but generally people refer to my work as Impressionist, which I love!

Regardless of whether I'm asked to paint a particular subject (such as the Eiffel Tower in "Bon Jour") or if it's a subject that I'm doing for myself (like Venice in "Gondolier of Venice"), each time I start a new work, I first enjoy the essence of my subject, and then I let my intuition do the rest. It's fun to celebrate each subject with beauty, passion and joy, and it's a treat when people look at my work and say, "It makes me feel so happy!" 

I love working with color and movement to create engaging compositions, and if I can put in a few extra hidden smiles and meanings, I will. Sometimes companies that license my work ask for a specific color palette or size, and sometimes companies give me free reign. Either way, I love it, and from each work I learn new things. I was every bit as happy painting "Bon Jour" as I was creating "Gondolier of Venice", so in terms of the joy of creation, the source of the inspiration becomes secondary to the spirit of painting - once I have that paint brush in my hand, I am in my own happy little world. I also love painting to music, and I have some 'favorites' on my music list that get me started on each painting I create - from stretching the canvas to mixing the paints to carefully applying those last daubs and finishing touches of paint on the canvas.

Question:  Where can I learn more?

Answer:  My main website is at www.Nicole.bz