Meet Nicolet
Nice to meet you; I am a multi-disciplined creative and mixed media artist. My art is intricate but not overwhelming by working with a minimal color palette of muted colors.
When in need of inspiration, I can always find it within my massive collection of vintage ephemera, books, photos, and postcards. My work’s imagery and timeworn quality point to my love of history, photography, and typography.
Born and raised in a small rural village in The Netherlands, I was
surrounded by family who helped sow the seeds for my creative mind. My aunt lived in a neighboring house. Whenever possible, I crossed the backyard fence to sneak into her garden to draw and paint in her studio.
Most Saturdays were spent at my grandparents’ house, where the hours would fly by as I transformed wood into countless creations in my granddad’s barn. He let me handle every available tool. I still have a prominent chisel scar on my left thumb! The only thing he prohibited me from using, to my dismay, was the circular saw. When I was not in the barn, my grandmother taught me to knit, crochet, and embroidery. My family holds an important place in my creativity; I frequently include vintage photos of them as image transfers in my artwork.
At age 16, I was accepted into Art School to study interior design; I credit my parents to encourage me to pursue a creative career.
Unfortunately, I was too young for a study that requires so much self-reflection. My designs were good, but teachers couldn’t follow my process because I sketched everything in my head. After the first year at the academy, I stopped painting; my teacher literally told me I shouldn’t be allowed to hold a brush. Because of this, I stepped away from art, and it would be 25 years until I dared to try again.
During my artistic hiatus, I spent my early 20s traveling the world, living in Spain, England, and Italy, where, fun fact, I worked as a pizza maker! After moving back to The Netherlands, I met my husband Guillaume in 1999. We have two beautiful, bright, and creative children: Jonathan, 17, and Lotte, 15.
My husband and I are professional photographers, with my specialty being interior photography, which I also teach, and I have authored three Dutch books on the subject.
Get to Know More About Me
If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Pizza Bianca with bufola mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and leaves of basil
What has been your favorite vacation ever?
Any vacation in Italy!
What keeps you motivated for work?
I’m passionate about making things. Whether it is interior photography, graphic design, or art. Frankly, I get depressed when I am not creating!
What’s your favorite title that you have now?
Wife to Guillaume, mother to Jonathan & Lotte
On your days off, what do you like to do?
Cuddling under a blanket on the couch, drinking lattes and reading a book
What has been the best advice you have ever received about your career?
You have 2 jobs in life: 1. Find that thing you’re supposed to be doing, 2. Do that thing.
“
Words that Inspire Me
I want to be in the arena. I want to be brave with my life. And when we make the choice to dare greatly, we sign up to get our asses kicked. We can choose courage or we can choose comfort, but we can’t have both. Not at the same time.
BRENé Brown
get inspired
