Nicola is an enthusiastic observer of nature, probably significantly influenced at an early age by her father, a botanist, and mother, a botanical illustrator. She finds inspiration for her paintings in the surrounding Bodmin Moor and coastal areas of Cornwall where she lives with her husband and three children.

Born and brought up in Edinburgh, Nicola graduated in 1983 from Edinburgh College of Art with a B.A.Hons in Design. She worked in the Edinburgh area for a number of years before moving South.

1983—1985 Worked as a design assistant in the Natural History department of the Royal Scottish Museum (now National Museum of Scotland) in Edinburgh.

1985—1987 Employed by Midlothian District Council to design an interpretive display for Vogrie Country Park and House.

1987—1990 Employed as a training materials designer for The Scout Association.

Following a career break while her children were young, interspersed with the occasional freelance commission, she returned to painting in 2000 whilst working part-time as a Teaching Assistant at the local school.

Past commissions have included work for The Scout Association, BBC Scotland, George Waterston’s ( Edinburgh), Eagle Homes ( Aberdeen) and The British Pteridological Society.