Speaking with Artist, Nic Squirrell

Nic Squirrell is a talented artist and illustrator based in Kent. In our latest interview, we got the opportunity to chat with her about her art, lockdown life in a small village, her online art classes and much more.

Keep reading for a chance to see her incredible stickers and find out a little more about her life.

Hi Nic, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us a little about your life?

I live in a small village in Kent. I travelled a lot as a child, and have lived in Japan and Korea and various places in the North of England. I trained and worked as an optician before going back to college and studying art.

How and when did you first develop an interest in art?

I’ve always loved drawing and drove my parents crazy by painting on every possible surface.

How’re you finding lockdown life? Is it making you more or less productive?

I miss working in a café! I miss seeing my family and friends and getting out and about in our camper van, but I’m used to being self-motivated work-wise, so it hasn’t really made a difference to my productivity.

What’s a typical day like in the life of Nic Squirrell?

I get up early and do a couple of hours of uploading images, then go for a long walk and either phone my family and friends for a chat, or just walk and let thoughts and ideas arrive. It’s great for inspiration.

When I get back, my lovely husband has coffee and a croissant ready. Normally, at this point, I’d be off to a café to work, but at the moment it’s my mini studio upstairs. I deal with any emails and then work through to 5 pm-ish on whatever is the most pressing thing for that day.

Then, it’s time for a glass of something cold, some supper (cooked by my resident chef and husband) and maybe a film.

Your work largely features animals and the natural world - is this one of your main inspirations?

Yes, definitely. There’s always something new to paint in nature and it changes so much with the seasons and location. I love animals, as you can probably tell.

If you were able to speak to any animal, what would you choose and why?

I’d love to have a chat with a crow. They are very intelligent and must see all sorts of interesting things!

What medium do you create your work in?

I mainly work digitally on my iPad. Procreate is my absolute favourite app, although I enjoy using lots of different ones. I also love real watercolour.

You create online classes on Skillshare - can you tell us why you enjoy teaching art?

I love sharing what I do and helping other people to learn new apps and techniques too - it’s very rewarding. There’s a great sense of community with like-minded people.

Can you tell us about your creative process from coming up with your initial idea through to the final product?

I never have trouble with ideas. They often come along when I’m walking or about to fall asleep. I write them down as I go, so there’s always a to-do list if I’m not feeling particularly inspired. Sometimes I can’t remember what I meant though.

I start with very scruffy sketches on cheap printer paper just to get a feel of how I’m going to make the image. If I’m working digitally I might take a photo of my sketch using my iPad and use this as a base, or I might just go straight into the app and start drawing.

I work big and in layers so that I can use the image for lots of different products. I usually do a few different shapes and sizes for the same reason. Once I’m done, it’s time for the uploading process, which differs on each site. It’s fun to see the design on the final products.

You mentioned that you’ve taken in several stray cats - how many are you up to at the moment?

The most we’ve had at any one time was five. At the moment we only have one, but she is the queen of the area. We do have a few new visitors though, so you never know.

What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?

Draw every day. I know everyone says that, but there’s a good reason why! It hones your skills and helps your style to emerge without even trying. It’s the secret sauce.

What’s the future looking like? Anything big on the horizon?

I hope the future is more of the same! I love what I do, and the variety and flexibility. I’m always looking at new things which fit in with how I like to work.