Happy Sunshiny Friday to you all. Hope you're all well and looking forward to the weekend. I'm currently working on some new #Easter #greeting #card #designs that I'll shortly be uploading to https://www.lovefromtheartist.com/Artists/wilstock-village-bridgwater/nicola-jane-rabbett. These are some of the #illustrations that I have been #working on, that I'll be colouring up and turning in to #cards. Thinking I might also do some #linen #cushions with some of the animal illustrations
Nicola Jane Rabbett Fine Art ltd
NEWARK PARK
Beautiful Newark Park. These are some pictures from our visit there. It’s is a lovely National Trust property in Gloucestershire with a beautiful knot garden full of topiary. The peacocks there were so friendly, they came straight up to the lens of the camera with no hesitation or fear whatsoever , it was so lovely to see.
Newark park
NATIONAL TRUST
We had the most wonderful visit to Newark Park on Coronation Sunday. I was incredibly lucky to encounter this amazing peacock. Photographed on the box hedging that surrounds the formal garden there. He was the friendliest peacock that I’ve ever come across. Coming right up to the lens of my camera, he was so incredibly inquisitive and had no fear what’s so ever! I managed to get some great shots of him and this is the result of one of the close up shots.
This will be great reference for the mural that I’m painting, together with the feathers I’m currently painting in pearlescent watercolours..
I’ll be posting more pictures from our visit there soon, so keep popping back to the blog. #Newark-Park #National-Trust
THE MAJESTIC PEACOCK
Well he’s not quite finished, there’s quite a lot of tidying up and fine detail to add, but I’m happy with the colours and composition so far. Painted in a combination of watercolours & pearlescent paints, it’s always a bit tricky experimenting with new media, as you never know how it’s going to turn out. The pearlescent paints have certainly been a learning curve but I have love the effect they have created. Once ‘His Majesty’ is finished, the next challenge will be to create his counterpart……..Watch this space!
Wrapped Bouquets
Come see the new collection of artist greetings cards, inspired by beautiful spring blooms. Created digitally with Nicola’s drawings and illustrations. Printed on beautiful pearlescent paper and each one comes with a co-ordinating pearlescent envelope.
Head on over to the on-line store to see the full collection or click on the image to take you straight there.
The Peacock
The start of a new watercolour painted in beautiful handmade pearlescent paints from @csyart. Delighted to have received these beautiful paints which give a fantastic lustre to the peacock features that I’m painting.. They’re perfect for capturing the stunning iridescent shimmer of the peacocks majestic feathers. I’ll be posting more pictures of him here on the blog, as the artwork progresses
GREENWAY - NATIONAL TRUST
Wonderful inspiration from the stunning Dahlia’s at Greenway in Dartmouth.
ISLES OF SCILLY
Back from a lovely trip to the Isles Of Scilly. Such beautiful views every where you looked, even though the weather wasn’t the best, the views of the island we encountered were utterly breathtaking. Here are just a few of the pictures that I took. There was plenty of inspiration for a series of ‘Island Life’ Paintings. I can’t wait to get started.
To see more of my photographic journey you can follow me on instagram @nicolajanerabbett_photography and to see what’s new at ‘Nicola Jane Rabbett Fine Art Ltd’ follow me here on the website blog or on instagram @nicolajanerabbett_fineartltd
Just added to the on-line store, this beautiful contemporary original oil painting of ‘Lyme Bay’. Depicting the lovely seafront and promenade in Lyme Regis. Professionally framed in a bespoke, hand made, white painted, solid wood frame. For more details, click on the image to take you straight to the seascape paintings in the on-line store.
Romantic Roses
These beauties were picked from the garden at the beginning of June. There are a mixture David Austin roses ‘Spirit Of Freedom’ & ‘James Galway’, claret peonies, and ‘Fuzzy Pride-Of-Rochester’……which are the white flowers. I did have to cheat a little on the peony front as our ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ peonies only had one bloom on them this year, so I had to buy a couple of the pale pink peonies. The rest of the bouquet, however, is entirely from our garden. I took a while to arrange the bouquet and compose the shot, but the most difficult aspect is the lighting, but I think I got there in the end with a couple of tweaks. I wanted to create a bit of drama so that my painting , when I get round to doing it, will hopefully reflect that. I will be popping more pics from my photoshoot later on, but for now it’s back to the end of year accounts (as you’ve probably read, if you follow me on instagram)…..
@nicolajanerabbett_fineartltd
STAR MAGNOLIA & MAHOGANY FAWNLILY
These beautiful specimens were found at ‘Buckland Abbey’, ‘National Trust’. The vast array of Magnolia’s there were incredibly impressive. In shades of the palest pink to snowy whites, it was a feast for the eyes.
‘A Symphony Of Flowers’ Satin scarf
Thank you to the lovely Sammy Jackson @sammy_jjackson for her purchase of one of my satin scarf’s, “Symphony Of Flowers’, in support of the ‘We Stand With The Ukraine’ appeal through the ‘British Red Cross’.
The event organised by the @creativescommunity , raised in excess of £2000 and it was an absolute honour to donate some of my work to such a worthy cause. 💙💛🇺🇦
A Triptych Of Tulips
Botanical study of tulips that I photographed last spring at Knightshayes Court in Devon. I just have to add a butterfly and ladybird to finish the illustration.
THE FIRST BLOOMS OF SPRING
Beautiful Hawthorn, Pink Crab Apple Blossom and Pale Pink Magnolias are some of the first signs that Spring has awakened. I took these snaps over the weekend whilst walking our new pup. I love to see the first blooms of Spring, it’s so up-lifting. The pale pink and white hues of each flower and the pattens the branches make against the milky blue morning skies are truly poetic.
LLISTOCK AT SUNSET
Beautiful Lilstock in Somerset. Our gorgeous new Samoyed pup is providing us with lots of new opportunities to get out and about in the locality. We were incredibly lucky to capture this stunning sunset at Lilstock last weekend and it provided the perfect backdrop for our photogenic pup. I think she might be cropping up in a few of my new textile designs in the future, so keep watching the blog to see what’s new. 💕
Tulipa Gesneriana
This botanical tulip illustration is a work in progress. It is part of three tulip illustrations in a row…….a triptych if you like. They were taken from photographs that I took last spring when we visited the National Trust’s ‘Knightshayes Gardens’ near Tiverton in Devon. @nightshayesnt.
The tulips were stunning and there were so many, I just couldn’t stop photographing them.
There will be more updates on my progress with this, here on my blog, so keep checking back to see how it goes. You can also follow me on instagram @nicolajanerabbett_fineartltd
These are my other instagram pages where you can see more of my photographs and design idea’s……. Happy browsing💕
Just a little update to let you all know my where you can reach me on my social media channels. I have just updated them all to be in keeping with my company name. Alternatively, you can scroll down to the bottom of each page of my website and just click on the social media buttons to follow me.
MISTY MORNING IN THE QUANTOCKS
I managed to capture these beautiful swans taking flight from the lake yesterday morning. It was so spectacular to see them take off from the lake like that, I felt very lucky to witness it.
To see more on my fine art journey why not follow my instagram page on: https://www.instagram.com/nicolajanerabbett_fineartltd/ and to see the photographs that inspire the art go to: https://www.instagram.com/nicolajanerabbett/
WINTER WONDERLAND - An original watercolour illustration
Floral Composition No II
Creating a new composition to go with the ‘Floral Elegance’ piece, pictured a couple of posts below, was no easy task! When creating compositions for my paintings, I like to do them in pairs…… it’s something about the interior designer in me and the fact that I like to visualise my paintings within a whole interior design scheme and not just as stand alone pieces.
Creating something similar, but slightly different is harder than you would imagine.
Firstly I had to create my floral arrangement so that the positioning of the flowers were in similar shape to that of the first composition I had done. This was difficult because when one leaf or flower went in the right direction, then another one would just fall out of position! It took ages to get it right.
Then of course, it’s the all important lighting and that is probably the most difficult thing to get right, especially if you’re trying to compliment another piece you’ve already composed . Well, it took many shots and lots of observation between the first piece I had created and the new one I was trying to create.. Utterly exhausting, - it’s surprising how much mental energy you use but incredibly rewarding if you manage to get that shot.
I think I managed it in the end but it took many hours to get to that stage.
Now comes the paintings, which I can’t wait to do and I hope will add another dimension to the compositions……..watch this space for updates on my progress.
STILL LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY - A FLORAL PASSION
A little variation on a theme…….Another one of my shots from yesterday’s photography shoot. I captured the light in a slightly different way for this one, then added a translucent green tint to the background. I love them both for their different qualities. The canvases are ordered, I just need to capture my idea’s in paint now……….
Photography & Design ©Nicola Jane Rabbett
#artist #nicolajanerabbett #floral #stilllife #photography #fineart #paintings
Floral Elegance
One of the photographs from my photography shoot this morning. Exploring the realms of light and shade for dramatic effect. I’m hoping to use this as the composition for my next oil painting. I loved every minute of this photography session, from arranging the flowers to composing the shot. The best bit comes at the end after taking many shots, you finally get the picture you were after…..the one that captures the light just perfectly.
Photography & design © Nicola Jane Rabbett
#fineart #artist #photography #floralcomposition #flowers #nicolajanerabbett
UNTITLED ARTIST’S FAIR - CHELSEA, LONDON
So proud to be a part of the ‘Untitled Artist's Fair’ at Chelsea Old Town Hall. It was the first exhibition that I have incorporated my company signage within my stand.
#art #exhibition #untitledartist’sfair #chelseaoldtownhall #nicolajanerabbettfineartltd #chelsealife #Chelsea #kensington #London
Hot Off The Press
Incredibly proud to have my work featured on the very back page of the October Edition of ‘Chelsea Life’ magazine. Being sold in Marks and Spencer in the kings Road and dropping through the letterboxes of the beautiful residences of Kensington and Chelsea.
Content and design ©Nicola Jane Rabbett 2021
#chelsealife #Chelsea
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE ELITE LONDON 2021
NEW EMAIL CAMPAIGN DEVISED BY ‘THE ELITE LONDON’
Below you will see the images and an excerpt of the content used for a new email marketing campaign from the wonderful team at ‘The Elite London’. Thank you to Josh, Andrew and the team at ‘Elite’ for all your hard work.
I am very excited to be taking part at luxury lifestyle event, ‘The Elite London 2021’ The event will be held at ‘Wycombe Air Park’ in High Wycombe and will run from the 17th -18th September. Tickets are £15. For more information and to register for tickets go to: https://www.theeliteevents.com/london/tickets/
‘The Elite London’
“Nicola Jane Rabbett Fine Art Ltd offers beautiful original oil paintings, original watercolour illustrations and fine art prints. Each piece celebrates the exquisite beauty of nature, many pieces being inspired by landscapes, coastlines and floral blooms. Created with painstaking attention to detail, they retain an aura of refinement and grace. Each piece is framed with a bespoke, solid wood, handmade frame, creating the perfect blend of craftsmanship and fine art. Timeless classics to treasure for a lifetime”
Blossom Detail
This is a detail of the ‘Blossom canvas that I’m working on in the studio at the moment. It’s nearly finished, but I have to add the stamens in the centre of some of the flowers and add some highlights to the petals and a little more depth to some of the deeper pink blossom that’s in the painting………… I’m so looking forward to seeing it finished.
The Artwork
For The Magazine Feature.
When it comes to the creative side of my business, my first love is of course painting and designing but I do like creating the graphics artwork for publications too. I love the process and hope to portray the artwork in it’s best light.
I extracted the image from one of my photographs and placed it on a graded slate coloured background which toned in with the colours of my painting. I then placed a shadow behind the painting to give it more impact and then added the text.
Content and design ©Nicola Jane Rabbett
Abode2
I am extremely proud to be featured in the latest edition of ‘Abode2’. This beautiful publication features one of my still life oil paintings - ‘Waiting….’ which shows a stark contrast to the abundant nature of my floral paintings. I adore working in different styles and love the paired down elegance of a simple still life. As I am passionate about interiors, I like to envisage my pieces in both contemporary and traditional settings. When conceptualising my paintings, I am mindful of what type of space I am trying to create for.
If you have a specific art criteria for your space and would like to commission a piece, please do contact me via the contact form with your specific requirements.
Thank you to all the team at Abode2 for their continued help and support with my work.
ANTONY HOUSE National Trust
Just a few images of the beautiful garden at Antony House, near Saltash in Devon. The yew avenues and topiary gardens were host to some of the scenes from ‘Tim Burton’s’ ‘Alice In Wonderland’ production. The garden was so inspirational, even in the rain and can’t wait to go back to explore some more. I will be posting some more of my photo’s from today, so you can see the knot garden and some more of the beautiful flowers there.
Beautiful Poppies
I snapped these gorgeous poppies, just down the road from where we live. They are perfect reference for some new designs that I have planned. More on that to follow, so keep watching my blog and subscribe to the newsletter for all the latest updates.
‘Monochrome Notelets’
These little beauties have been printed on the beautiful ‘Bockingford‘ watercolour paper from ‘St Cuthberts Mill’ in Somerset.. Co-ordinated with lustrous black pearlescent envelopes, that are sure to bring a sparkle to any delivery.
Shop ‘Artist’s Greetings Cards’ in the on-line store to see the full range of designs.
‘Up, Up & Away’
The five designs, shown here and below, make up the ‘Vintage Airships’ greetings card collection. All printed on stunning pearlescent paper and teamed with scrumptious hand made pearlescent envelopes. Here you can see Nicola’s ‘Up, Up & Away’ design, has been co-ordinated with a pearl pink pearlescent envelope. The others in the collection come with either baby blue or black pearlescent envelopes.
“One of my favourite card collections so far”……Nicola Jane Rabbett.
Click on the balloon image to take you straight to the greetings card collections in the store.
‘VINTAGE AIRSHIPS’ Greetings Card Collection
‘Take Flight To The Stars’
If you’re looking for something out of the ordinary when it comes to greetings cards, these little beauties have been printed on light catching pearlescent paper and come with beautifully co-ordinated black pearlescent hand made envelopes. Part of the ‘Vintage Airships’ greetings card collection. Head on over to the ‘greetings card’ section in the store here on the website to see the whole collection.
ARTIST’S GARDEN
The roses are in full bloom in the garden right now. Whenever I step in to the garden I am in absolute astonishment to see what has come in to flower. The roses have surpassed themselves this year and are providing so much inspiration for my work. I can’t wait to paint some of them, I think some botanical studies might be popping up in my art & design work soon, so watch this space…….
NATURE’S BEAUTY
KNIGHTSHAYES COURT
This is the stunning kitchen garden at Knightshayes Court, near Tiverton in Devon. The array of tulips that greeted us when entering via the small wrought iron gate at the side of the gardens, was a veritable assault on the senses. It was an absolute blaze of colour, so beautiful and so many varieties of these wonderful flowers. Together with tulips and interspersed between the box and bay, there was also, lavender, rosemary and a myriad of other herbs and their scent pervaded the air as we meandered along the gravel paths.
I love to visit during the different seasons, but spring has to be one of the best, in terms of sheer variety of plants. It’s one of those gardens that is an absolute must if you’re a gardener or lover of nature like me.
ABODE2
Well, I just had to post the front cover of this esteemed magazine. It’s utterly beautiful in all it’s aspects from design to content and the front covers always look stunning. You can purchase a subscription to this beautiful publication from : https://www.abode2.com/subscribe/
To see more about my artwork within their on-line directory go to:
https://www.abode2.com/directory/nicola-jane-rabbett/
To hear all the latest news on events and offers from ‘Nicola Jane Rabbett Fine Art Ltd’ subscribe to the website here at:
https://www.nicolajanerabbett.com
ABODE2
I am extremely proud to be featured in the Spring/Summer 2021 edition of ABODE2. This is the full page in all it’s glory. Thank you to Julia Millen, Harry Advic, Iain Why and all at Abode2 for making it happen. The team there, always do such an amazing job when it comes to producing the publication. It looks stunning and the front covers always look so glamorous…….. You will see in the picture of the front cover above.
The only hitch that we had, was that between creating the artwork and going to press, the dates for my upcoming exhibitions were re-scheduled, due to the pandemic! Therefore the dates printed in the publication, unfortunately, weren’t correct. The dates have been amended in the on-line edition of the magazine and they are as follows:
The ‘Elite Events, London’ at Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire, has now been re-scheduled to take place on Friday 17th September - Saturday 18th September 2021.
For tickets, go to:
https://www.theeliteevents.com/london/
The ‘Untitled Artist’s Fair’ has now been re-scheduled to take place on Friday 22nd October - Sunday 24th October at ‘Chelsea Old Town Hall’, Kings Road, Chelsea, London.. For more information and to apply for your free tickets go to:
https://www.untitledartistsfair.co.uk/about/
And fill out a short form
Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.
‘The Elite Events London’
I have pleasure in announcing that the ‘Elite Events, London’ at Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire, has now been scheduled to take place on Friday 17th September - Saturday 18th September 2021.
Take a look at the amazing ‘Elite Events’ website, where you can purchase your tickets for the event. It really is a must, if you love luxury brands and everything to do with that luxury lifestyle. There’s everything from super car brands, private jets and luxury designer lifestyle brands. Who can wait for an event that delivers everything, especially after lockdown…….. so hop on over to their website to purchase your tickets and plan your trip.
For all the latest news, updates and offers, subscribe to the newsletter, here on the website.
For event tickets go to:
https://www.theeliteevents.com/london/
‘The Untitled Artist’s Fair’
Has now been re-scheduled to take place on Friday 22nd October - Sunday 24th October at ‘Chelsea Old Town Hall’ , Kings Road, Chelsea, London.. For more information and to apply for your free tickets go to:
https://www.untitledartistsfair.co.uk/about/
And fill out a short form
For the latest updates, offers and news, subscribe to the newsletter here on the website.
I’m very excited about the event and very much looking forward to meeting and chatting with everyone there. Be sure to head on over to their website to get your free tickets and plan your visit.
Abode2
This will be my next full page feature in the beautiful ‘Abode2’ magazine. I composed the background from two of my paintings which I merged together, then I placed two of my seascape paintings on top. I had such fun designing it and I can’t wait to see it in the publication.
Wisteria At Barrington Court
A little more progress on the oil painting i’m working on at the moment. I’m beginning to put more of the detail in to the foxgloves and the cascading fronds of white wisteria. It’s taking time and the challenges of retaining colour and light with this piece have been difficult to say the least, but even though it’s taking what seems like months, I think it’ll all be worth it in the end.
#Barrington-Court #Wisteria #National-Trust-South-West #Original-Oil-Painting © Nicola Jane Rabbett Fine Art Ltd
‘After The Rain’
Limited Edition Fine Art Print.
As well as painting new artworks for the upcoming exhibitions that I have in May, I am also getting things ready for how I’m going to display my work. Having roses and leaf fronds adorne the outside of the picture frames, I thought would be a lovely way to reiterate the style of my paintings. I adore flowers and plants of all kinds and this seems to compliment the idea of bringing the outside world in. If you would like to see more form my limited edition fine art print collection, you can order from the on-line store here, just click on my ‘After The Rain’ print to the left to take you straight there.
#after-the-rain #fine-art-print #artist
@nicola-jane-rabbett @nicolarabbett
Wisteria At Barrington Court
My latest oil painting is turning out to be a bit of an epic process. I have spent many weeks hand painting and editing details on it so far and it’s still not there yet! As an artist, for me, It’s important to get it just right - I guess that’s the perfectionist in me - ever self critical and I know I won’t be able to rest until it’s just right.
Onwards to the challenge of getting it finished……..
INTERIOR STYLING - CHRISTMAS 2020
If there’s one thing I love about Christmas, it’s the preparation of the house and adorning the rooms with beautiful festive garlands, twinkling, starlit fairy lights and natural greenery from the garden. This year we decided to go to town a bit. After all the restrictions of lockdown, it seemed fitting to cheer ourselves up with some festive bling! Our olive tree in the garden needed a rather substantial trim and as I absolutely love the grey green colour of the leaves, I had to use the trimmings in a large chandelier garland over our dining room table. I gave some of the branches the glitter treatment and painted some with white pearlescent paint. Then I formed the branches into a hoop shape and kept on adding branches until I achieved the desired effect. lastly, I added the twinkling lights on the underside of the garland, creating a canopy of stars kind of feel to it.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, with all the very best for a healthy and happy 2021.
The Gift
Christmas greetings cards will soon be available in the on-line store in the ‘greetings card’ section. They have been printed on beautiful hand made artist’s watercolour paper ‘Bockingford’ from #St-Cuthberts-Mill in Somerset. Especially designed for digital printing but in keeping with the traditions of hand made paper-making. St Cuthberts Mill has been making paper since the 17.00’s and they specialise in the manufacture of high quality artist paper. Their experienced papermakers carefully make professional mould made papers, using one of the few remaining cylinder mould machines left in the world. The cards have been complimented with the most beautiful textured pearlescent envelopes, making these cards a special gift to send to your friends and family. To be the first to know when they’ll be in stock, subscribe to the newsletter in the pop up box, when you first come to the website here at www.nicolajanerabbett.com
Nautilus
Mother of pearl iridescence illuminate from these beautiful Nautilus and Turbo shells. Original oil paintings inspired by the sea, in the on-line store now.
Pearl Of The Sea
An original still life oil painting framed in a bespoke solid wood white painted frame. This one has a companion - the ‘Nautilus’, shown above. To see detailed images of these beautiful original paintings go to the ‘Still Life Paintings’ in the on-line store.
Inspiring scenes greeted us when we took our half term trip to Newquay in Cornwall. The weather was mixed with blustery showers and sunshine in between. It made for some atmospheric photo opportunities and I just couldn’t stop snapping, every corner that I turned, I seemed to be struck by a scene of beauty. I hope to use these images as inspiration for new paintings and illustrations.
Winter Wonderland
Coming soon, new Christmas greetings cards. To take you to a dream world where giant peacocks roam the grounds of beautiful stately homes and where the snow glitters like diamonds in a fantasy land that you can totally loose yourself in.
Once they have arrived, these will be available in the greetings card section of the store. Keep on checking in to the blog to see when they will be available.
Click on the image to take you straight to the #artists #greetings-card collections..
I am incredibly excited and proud to announce that as of Friday 23rd October ‘Nicola Jane Rabbett Fine Art’ became a Ltd Company. It was definitely a champagne, cork popping moment for all of us here. I would like to say a huge thank you to my amazing family, friends, followers and everyone who made it possible.
The November issue of ‘The World Of Interiors’ is out now and I am incredibly proud to announce that my artwork ‘Spirit Of Freedom’ has been included in this months ‘Artistic Impressions’. Thank you to everyone at ‘The World Of Interiors’ and ‘Conde Nast’ for all their support and hard work in this. Click on the images above to take you to Nicola’s art collections.
#the-world-of-interiors #conde-nast
I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to receive my copy of #Abode2 through the post just recently. They have done an amazing job of showcasing my artwork in their beautiful publication. Click on the images to take you to their stunning website and to see my artwork in their on-line artists directory. Thank you to Iain, Julia and Harry for all their hard work in making this happen.
‘BRITISH VOGUE’ OCTOBER 2020
I’m so incredibly proud to have my original oil painting, ‘Spirit Of Freedom’ pictured in the October edition of ‘Vogue’s Gallery’. You can also see my work in the on-line edition of the publication at: https://www.vogue.co.uk
Reed Cornicing
Produced in the 1920’s, one of the only examples of this beautiful reed design that still exists.
A few months ago, before lockdown, I was given the opportunity to see this beautiful wall mural in this amazing historic house in a village close to where I live. The house is not open to the public and is currently being restored by a philanthropist who has a special interest in art and history. I was incredibly lucky to be invited to see inside this stunning house, as it has so many important architectural details in terms of design and style. It houses one of the only examples that still exists, of plaster cornicing done in the style of a bed of reeds (pictured above). I was totally inspired after my visit, not least because I am currently painting a mural of my own but because it made me realise how important it is to preserve these beautiful places. They would be lost to everyone if it were not for the likes of people who want to care, restore and invest in these architectural gems.
Pink Cadillac
Whilst out on our travels yesterday we came across an array of vintage American cars. If anyone knows me, they’ll know that I absolutely adore vintage cars, it’s something about the curvaceous lines and streamlined styling that’s totally compelling. This 1957 coupe de ville Pink Cadillac was utterly stunning with its beautiful white leather trim, chrome & white bakerlite dash and pale pink bodywork. To be able to drive one of these beauties would be fantastic or even to enjoy a ride in the passenger seat would be a dream. Maybe one day…….
‘WATCHET HARBOUR & THE WHALE’
So excited to have these little coastal gems back from the printers. Available in the store now, my Coastal Greetings Card collection. Sold in packs of five, all featuring different coastal scenes from the South West of England. This one features ‘Watchet Harbour’ in Somerset and was inspired by one of our visits there. To see the rest of the coastal collection click on the image to take you straight to the ‘Artist’s Greetings Cards’ in the store.
‘To The Beach With Mama’
This is my latest coastal greetings card which features the stunning ‘Durdle Door’ in Dorset. The sea birds are called ‘Turnstones’ and here mama turnstone is taking her baby to see the wonders of this beautiful beach. The complete coastal collection is now available in the store under’Artist’s Greetings Cards’. Click on the image or any of the thumbnails below to take you straight to the greetings cards in the store.
ABODE2
No 1 google ranking global luxury property magazine is featuring a full page article on my artwork this month. My paintings will feature in the autumn edition of their publication and will be in conjunction with their luxury gift guide as a specialist insight to recommend to their readers. The publication is sold in Harrods, Selfridges in London and available in first class and business lounges for BA, American Airlines, Quantas, Virgin and Emirates Airlines, together with private jet charters and T5 at Heathrow.
The magazine is also available to buy digitally via iTunes, Amazon and Newsstand.
Click on the picture to take you straight to the on-line store where you will find all my original paintings and fine art prints.
An Artist’s Inspiration
Nicola talks about what inspires her to paint and how she wants to evolve her brand. Click on the artist’s picture to see a short video created for Luxury Property Magazine ‘Abode2’. https://www.abode2.com/directory/nicola-jane-rabbett/
It was a great pleasure to be asked to do a full page feature on my work as an artist, in the number 1 google ranking luxury property magazine, ‘Abode2’. I have been added to their ‘Sculptors & Artist’s Directory’ at https://www.abode2.com/directory/nicola-jane-rabbett/ . There you will find a short video about what inspires me as an artist and how I would like to grow my brand. You can also click on the artist’s photo above to take you straight to the video.
I had lots of fun doing the video and preparing for it. The best bit was preparing and adorning the sitting room with a mass of flowers, it looked so beautiful. Below is the mission statement that I wrote for the video.
ARTIST’S MISSION STATEMENT
As an artist, I am inspired by many things - the places I travel to, the music I listen to, the historic houses and gardens I visit and the natural beauty of the world around us. These are the things that never fail to astound me.
I am utterly passionate about flowers, plants and environmental beauty as a whole. I often draw inspiration from the plants I grow in the garden when painting and designing. They really are one of my favourite subject matters. I sometimes like to incorporate bees, insects or birds within my work and therefore try to choose plants that encourage pollinators when planting in the garden. The joy I find whilst watching a beautiful bumblebee pollinating the plants in our garden or to see an unusual butterfly flutter by is immense.
Overall, I want to reflect happiness within my work and if I can take the viewer to a place of joy whilst looking at one of my paintings, then I am some way to fulfilling my role. I want to transport the viewer to another place, away from the daily stresses of life, to perhaps the place the painting depicts or to evoke a beautiful memory or feeling within them. It’s the fundamental need for escapism that resides deep within us all that as an artist I need to fulfil.
I feel the importance of this is not to be underestimated and applies to the world of ‘The Arts’ as a whole. Can you imagine not being able to go to your favourite music venue, to see your favourite theatrical show, film or not being able to view that inspirational fashion collection that you always wanted to see – these are all creative practices that take us away from the stresses of daily life, giving us a chance to escape the norm. As emotional beings, we cannot live without these things - there would be seldom to inspire us to create something bigger than ourselves and they are the very things that keep us sane. The current situation with this pandemic, has for me, illustrated how important the arts, entertainment and culture are to our way of life – without them we cease to be the interesting and complex individuals that we attain to be - we just exist!
I listen to music when I paint which helps me focus and has been a source of great inspiration when creating my work. My favourite genre being jazz funk and soul music, it helps to transport me to another place, often becoming my refuge when working. Music has played a big part in helping me to create my work and takes me to a place where anything is possible, where my dreams are conceived.
There are many different artists and painters that I admire and have shaped the way I think, but one of my favourites has to be Claude Monet. I love the way he uses light and colour and the way he used to paint his garden through the changing seasons. His love of flowers and plants and the way he used them within his paintings brought alive the romantic essence of his gardens.
Another integral part of what inspires me as an artist has to be the world of fashion. There have been so many great influential designers and creators that I adore. I have always been a great admirer of ‘Vivienne Westwood’ for the unusual way she cuts and drapes the fabric within her garments, ‘Alexander McQueen’ for the structure, flamboyance and pure vision of his designs and the one & only ‘Christian Dior’ – a designer who ignites a passion within me that is almost indescribable. The romantic creations that emerged from this creative genius were the stuff of legends. Every intricate detail of the beautifully embroidered fabrics he used to create his designs were utterly stunning, each creation, an outstanding work of art. Flowers, both in terms of structure, texture and pattern, inspired many of his designs. He used to say, “After women, flowers are the most divine creations”. He was a pure visionary of his time.
I had a vision of how I saw my work being portrayed and I wanted to create a brand that focuses on elegance and luxury. I also wanted to celebrate the incredible creativity and craftsmanship that we have in this country today and to source whatever additions I would need to complement my artwork from local artisans. The bespoke hand made frames and picture mounts I use, are all from local suppliers, chosen for their meticulous attention to detail, therefore ensuring each piece of artwork is complemented with a beautifully hand crafted frame or hand cut mount. I feel it is important to support local craftsmanship where I can and I endeavour to offer a product that is of the highest quality.
I have big plans for the future with my brand and I want to focus on all the things I love to create.
THE GARDENS AT GREENWAY
We spent the most inspiring day walking around the stunning gardens at the beautiful holiday home of ‘Agatha Christie’s’. The flowers were glorious and it was just magical to stand in the dahlia garden listening to the birds and watching the butterflies dart in and out of the pom pom shaped flowers. It really is one of my favourite places on earth - glorious.
Carlyon Bay
Just finished, my new seascape of ‘Carlyon Bay’. Inspired by our many trips to the coast there. It’s such a wonderful place to visit with it’s golden sands and aqua blue water. The water’s so clear there, tantalisingly inviting me to just dive in every time we go. The next time we go, I’ll have to don my wet suit so I can go for a swim, as I know the water will be somewhat refreshing!!
This original will soon be available in the on-line store as part of my ‘Seascape’ collection.
Sea Pinks
These beautiful daisies were photographed at the ‘Jane Austin Garden’ in Lyme Regis. I went back there on Sunday to take some more photo’s to use as reference for the coastal painting that I’m working on at the moment. They create a stunning haze of pink, rather like something from one of ‘Monet’s’ Paintings - Just beautiful.
Wonderful day spent with lovely friends building sandcastles and sand boats at Lyme Regis on Sunday. It was so lovely to be able to go out with friends again, after having to adhere to the social distance rules for so long. It was a much needed day out.
Stepping out in the garden yesterday evening I couldn’t quite believe the amount of roses we had on our climbing rose, ‘Spirit Of Freedom’. They seemed to have come in to bloom all at once and was weighing the branches down - each flower was so heavy. I had to cut quite a few blooms so that it gave the rest of the buds on plant a chance of flowering properly - I had noticed that some of them were going brown on the outer petals and not opening fully. I thought the plant just doesn’t have enough energy to put into each flower. Even though I have fed it regularly, I thought the best thing to do would be to cut a lot of the blooms that were in flower off and trim some of the branches back. I then gave it a good feed and spray with ‘Rose Clear’, so I’m hoping that will do the trick.
Castle Farm
It was my absolute pleasure to be given the opportunity to paint this beautiful house for a friend of mine. It was for a wedding anniversary present so it was top secret and I had to keep it under wraps until the big day. It was such a lovely commission to paint, not least because it was going to be a surprise, but because the house is an absolute gem and a truly unique and beautiful place.
Thank you to Lucy and Matt for this lovely opportunity.
Castle Farm Illustration
The finished illustration.
LYME REGIS
There’s nothing better than popping down to the seaside for your tea after an afternoon working in the studio. We ate our fish & chips sat overlooking the beautiful seafront at Lyme Regis yesterday evening and then took a leisurely stroll along the promenade there. I have never seen the beach so quiet, as it would usually be nearing the height of the tourist season there by now. A sign of the times, I guess, but I do hope that things will return, in time, to some sort of normality after this pandemic is over.
There was a bracing coastal breeze as we meandered our way along the seafront but it was perfect for clearing the mind and gaining some perspective. Something I feel we must do more often. If there was anything positive to come out of this current situation, it’s the fact that it has forced many of us to slow down and perhaps re-evaluate what’s important in life.
I’m hoping to use some of the photo’s I took as inspiration for my Art Deco style greetings card collection that I’m currently working on.
Gertrude Jekyll
The roses are starting to bloom in the garden and suddenly everywhere is full of colour. it’s so uplifting to step out in to the garden and breath in the heady scent from these stunning flowers. This rose is another of my favourites from the ‘David Austin’ collection - Gertrude Jekyll. ‘David Austin’ roses are an artists dream and I can’t wait to paint it. Click on the image to take you straight to the ‘David Austin’ website.
There are many plants I would love to have in our garden, but lilacs are one of the one’s I would like the most. Not least because they make the most beautiful posy’s and bouquets for giving as gifts or to adorn the home but they also add colour and height to herbaceous borders.
A Sunday walk in the woods does wonders for the spirits. So lovely to get out and capture the wild bluebells and garlic in full flower at Broomfield Hill. A carpet of flowers scattered like confetti through the dappled wood seemed to go on forever, it was so tranquil and a beautiful sight to behold.
During my morning running sessions, since the start of lock down, I have managed to capture some beautiful images of spring flora and fauna. The two images above are from a #Cherry-Blossom tree very close to where we live. The tree was so heavily laden with flowers that the bows began to weep downwards towards the ground. Just stunning.
‘The Curlew’s Summer’
This is the latest illustration from my new coastal collection. It features the iconic Burnham lighthouse and a long billed Curlew searching for crustaceans in amongst the pebbles and lavender. Eventually I will be adding this to my new range of artists greetings cards and will be available to purchase here on the website.
‘Watchet Harbour And The Whale’
A Blue Whale in Watchet Harbour, I hear you say! Well that would be amazing if that actually happened, but that’s where my artistic license and imagination comes in. The rest of the illustration is based on photographs taken on our numerous visits to this beautiful little harbour. This is the third in the series from my new coastal collection which will eventually be added to my new range of artists greetings cards.
Above are a couple of my new coastal designs which will eventually become artists cards. I am working on a new collection at present and when the printers resume production, I aim to have them available to purchase here in the on-line store. I will keep you updated on when that will be as I receive information from our printers. ©Nicola Jane Rabbett 2020
Below is a link to sign a petition in support of small businesses and creative individuals for more government support during this time of crisis - COVID 19.
https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-there-is-presently-little-or-no-support-for-art-business-owners-creative-freelanc?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_20959311_en-GB%3Av2&recruited_by_id=6ba84380-6ad1-11ea-af4e-4330a5bb407f&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_message&utm_term=petition_show&share_bandit_exp=message-20959311-en-GB&share_bandit_var=v2
The Blue Whale
‘Bluey, the Blue Whale’ - One of my latest monochrome sketches which will form the basis of my next artist card. I am working on a new collection of greetings cards inspired by the coastline which celebrates everything associated with the sea. The coast is a magical place for me and I am constantly drawn to the sea, wether it be swimming in the ocean, walking along our stunning coastline or exploring the beautiful beaches of the Southwest. I just want to go there all the time and breath in the salty air and take in all that the coast has to offer. A visual paradise.
#deep-appreciation #for-the-world-we-live-in #sea-creatures #blue-whale #save-our-whales #save-our-coastline.
Northern Lights
The amazing Aurora Borealis. I have to admit, I was completely awestruck by this beautiful phenomenon. Our snowmobile trip into icy wilderness of the Lappish tundra was literally out of this world. We stopped three times and each time we stopped the light display in the night sky became ever more spectacular. The pictures below and to the side were mainly taken on the last stop. I set the camera to a long exposure and even though there was a little bit of camera shake, I still got some good results. Taking photo’s of the aurora seemed to amplify what we saw. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life and will always feel incredibly lucky to have seen them.
Just a few of the pictures I took, whilst travelling to Lapland in Finland. It was so, so beautiful there and full of inspirational landscapes and snowy scenes. We had an action packed week and literally didn’t stop the whole time we were there! The pictures above are of the magical reindeer sleigh ride we took deep into the snowy forest, together with some snaps from the husky safari we went on.
On the first night we were there however, we went on a snowmobile Aurora hunt to find the ‘Northern Lights’. We weren’t disappointed and they made an appearance on our first stop. They were quite faint at first, but by the time we had stopped for the third time, the light being emitted from the heavens was almost celestial. It was absolutely out of this world and I will be posting some of my pictures from the night in the next post. I feel incredibly lucky and privileged to have seen them and if you ever have the chance to go to this part of the world, the end of February, beginning of March offers the best chance of seeing them there.
. #Saariselka #Finland #Lapland https://skisaariselka.com/fi/
These are some of the inspirational pictures I photographed whilst on a day trip to London recently. The first blossoms of spring had started to bloom in and around the private gardens of Kensington and Chelsea. Classical and elegant Georgian architecture signify this affluent area of London with it’s designer boutiques, michelin star restaurants and artisan patisseries. The stunning floral bouquets were photographed at the famous ‘Bibendum Oyster Bar’ in South Kensington. Situated in the opulent art deco ‘Michelin House’. It is the perfect place for seafood and champagne - a totally decedent dining experience.
For the Oyster Bar click on this link: https://claudebosi.com/
Festive Flowers
Well, I can’t resist roses, even when I can’t pick the ones we grow in the garden! Therefore, I had to have my favourite coloured roses for our Christmas table decorations, which went perfectly with the silver table accoutrements. I absolutely love the idea of adorning the whole house in flowers, but it’s totally impractical of course - then again, who wants to be practical !!
Saltram House Garden Illuminations
These are just some of the photographs that I took on our visit to the spectacular illuminations in the garden at Saltram. The gardens were open until 8pm, so the light show could be seen in full effect against the night sky, once the daylight had faded. Just beautiful.
#saltramnt
If there ever was a place to put you in the festive spirit, this is it. Saltram-House's Christmas illuminations looked stunning. A story book themed walk through illuminated rooms, taking in scenes from 'Cinderella', 'Little Red Riding Hood' and 'Narnia', to name a few. The gardens were just as beautiful with trees and plants lit in an ethereal glow against the night sky. Utterly inspiring and it was just like stepping in to a fairytale. The inner child in me just wants to be part of the fairytale that keeps popping in to my mind every time I visit such inspiring places. Thank you to the National Trust for such a wonderful day and we hope to return in the spring to see the gardens in full bloom. Click on the images above, to take you to the #national-trust website at #Saltram-House.
Last chance to order my artist greetings cards for Christmas. To see my full collection click on any of the images above to take you straight to my page on the ‘Love From The Artist’ website. Happy card browsing. Order on their website by midnight Sunday 15th December to catch the last print run before Christmas.
Limited Edition Prints
Here are two of my limited edition fine art prints from my ‘Seascape’ collection. You can find ‘Old Harry’s Rocks’ and ‘Hawkers Cove, Padstow’, in the on-line store. They are shown here beautifully mounted and framed in bespoke white wooden frames. Looking gallery ready, they are the perfect addition to any coastal interior.
Platinum
Business Cards.
These little gems came yesterday and I was so excited to open the packaging to see how my designs had turned out. My flower logo has been embossed and foiled in platinum and there are tiny platinum flower logo’s on the reverse of each card, making each one a work of art in it’s self. Thank you to the lovely people @Moo for making them so special. #Moo
My sparkly new business cards have arrived, complete with platinum foiling, all ready for The Chester Arts Fair. I’m so pleased with them, thank you to Moo.com for doing a wonderful job with my designs.
The #chester-arts-fair is nearly upon us and I’m putting the finishing touches to the final #paintings & #drawings that I’m doing for the show. The fair runs from Friday 15th November - Sunday 17th November at Chester Racecourse. The preview evening is on the Friday and doors open at 6pm until 9pm. The show will then be open again on Saturday and Sunday from 10.30am until 5pm. There will be a multitude of art disciplines on display, from Sculpture and Painting to Ceramics and Fine Art Prints. Come and meet the artists and view the artwork in person with the chance to purchase something truly unique. For more information please click on the image above to go to the ‘Chester Arts Fair’ official website where you will find a full programme of events. “The North’s Most Prestigious Art Fair, Showcasing Over 120 UK & International Artists” - Chester Arts Fair.
Limited Edition Fine Art Prints
Update: We are currently working with suppliers for Nicola’s limited edition fine art prints and hope to bring you these soon. You may have seen on the limited edition prints page of the store, that all the prints had been sold, please be assured that this is not the case. This was a website error that we can only apologise for. We hope to bring you the full range of prints very soon and keep you updated as soon as they become available.
‘After The Rain’
Oil on Canvas - framed in a solid white wooden frame.
By #Nicola-Jane-Rabbett
Thank you to the lovely Dustin @FRAMEWORX in Taunton for framing my “ After The Rain” painting so beautifully. It sets the painting off perfectly and really picks out the white #blossom within the painting. Click on the image to take you straight to my paintings in the store..
Sneak Peak
Here’s a sneak peak at my next '#Still-Life #painting. This is just a section of the new #oil-painting and at the moment is just a #work-in-progress. All will be revealed soon.
‘Star Gazer’
This is one of my latest monochrome pencil drawings, ‘Star Gazer’. Once framed, I will be bringing this along with me to Chester Arts Fair, together will a selection of my other original pencil drawings . Keep checking in to my blog to see what’s new and to see what I’ll be bringing with me to the fair,
Weeping Cherry Blossom
‘Prunus Kikushidare -Zakura’ - Oil on Canvas.
This shows the full canvas,, framed with a deep edged, solid white wooden frame.. Measuring 12.5” x 12.5”.
‘Prunus Kikushidare -Zakura’
Detail of a weeping cherry blossom tree. - Oil on Canvas.
I will be donating this to Chester Arts Fair’s nominated official charity this year, ‘‘The Joshua Tree’, for a silent bidding auction, during the run up and throughout the dates of the fair. ‘ The Joshua Tree’ has been fund raising for 12 years to build a new center to support children affected by cancer. Finally this year they have broken ground and the project has begun. To represent their efforts and success there will be a collection of 12 miniature masterpieces with a minimum bid of £45 which would cover the cost of one art therapy session for a child who has been affected by cancer. These pieces will be live on the Chester Arts Fair website - www.chesterartsfair.co.uk for the public to bid for in the run up to the fair, as well as on display at the fair for further bidding.. ‘Prunus KiKushidare - Zakura will be available to bid on along with 11 other ‘Mini Masterpieces’ from the talented artists exhibiting at the Fair.
Beautiful Butterfly
The magical qualities of the butterfly. With it’s uniquely patterned, featherlight wings, continues my journey with my #monochrome drawings.. It is a #work-in-progress at the moment as I need to add the fine details. This will be added to my collection of #original #drawings in the store, once finished and framed.
Bumblebee
This bumblebee was taken from one of my photographs that i took @Knightshayes-Court - National Trust. I managed to get a real close up shot of this beautiful fury creature. It meant I could see every little detail of it’s soft fur and gossamer wings - Delightful!
bumblebee & Dandelion Clock
I have been working on new monochrome drawings to exhibit @Chester-Arts-Fair.today. This one’s a work in progress, but I’ll hopefully have it finished soon.
Waterlilies
I photographed these beautiful waterlilies at Berkley Castle last week. The castle was an absolute joy to visit with so many things to do for both adults and children. The castle, dating back to the 11th Century has a rich chequered history and boasts lavish interiors and an extensive art collection. There were battle reenactments to entertain the children and a beautiful butterfly house where we saw the stunning ‘Morpha Blue’ from South America with it’s irridescent blue wings. So much to inspire, including the beautiful gardens where the waterlily pond resides. The waterlily pond is where I took this shot, which I can just see as a painting………
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to see more on my artists journey.
Greenway
Agatha Christies beloved holiday home - “The loveliest place in the world” - Agatha Christie. We visited this glorious place last week and was surprised to learn that not only was Agatha a famous novelist, but an extremely talented pianist and embroidery artist. A woman of many talents.
The house and garden are situated in one of the most idilic locations you could ever wish to see - Overlooking the river Dart, amongst pine trees and dahlia gardens, encapsulated in it’s own magical world of story book fantasy.
We had such a wonderful day there and I know it’s a place I could go back to time and time again.
Charlestown
This schooner was photographed in beautiful Charlestown near Saint Austell. Lovely to spend an afternoon beach combing in Charlestown harbour and Carlyon bay with the children. We collected a multitude of different sea shells and several spider crab shells, which seemed to me to be huge! I am hoping to use some of the shells in my next still life painting…….. watch this space for the progress on that.
#Tall-Ships #Charlestown #Cornwall #Seascapes
Dior Designer of Dreams
This exhibition, which I went to see a couple of weeks ago at the V&A, has to be one of the most inspiring exhibitions that I have ever seen. I was so overwhelmed that I almost cried. Fashion has always been a great passion for me, especially the cut & detail of women’s clothing. I particularly love intricate embroidery and unusual fabric patterns. The detail and cut of ‘Dior’s designs are absolutely exquisite and the fabrics he designed were some of the most decadent and lavish that I have ever seen. It was so interesting to see how each director of the company brought their unique style to the brand, whilst retaining the original ‘Dior’ integrity and magic. Some of my favourite designs were from, John Galliano and Maria Grazia Chiuri, the current Director of the company. In essence, it was truly awe inspiring.
Well here’s the on-going progress of my #Spirit-of-Freedom #painting. It’s coming on, but I still need to put more detail in to the #roses and #white-blossom. This piece has come to mean a lot to me, as at times I have struggled to fit in the time to work on it, but have been constantly drawn to getting it finished, as it’s what I love to do. I often feel like I am torn between work and family life, as with any parent we want to do our best in all areas for our lives whilst enjoying ourselves too.. Sometimes a tall order, because we’re often so busy that we end up tripping up over ourselves to do so much in such a small space of time! - if only we had more hours in the day!! Looking forward to the next stage of the #painting now and thinking of lots more new ideas for the next #canvases. #oil-on-canvas by #Artist #Nicola-Jane-Rabbett ©July 2019
The garden was my #studio for the day today. Making a start on my new oil painting, ‘Spirit of Freedom’. How appropriate, to be working in amongst the #roses and flowers that I’m #painting..
‘Spirit of Freedom’
New #composition for my next oil #painting. The composition has been made up from photographs that I have taken of the #David-Austen rose, ‘ Spirit of Freedom’, we have growing in our garden. Together with #wisteria fronds and white blossom. With the colours mixed and the composition drawn out, ,I’m all ready to start #painting now.. ‘
#Photographs from our recent trip to #Antibes, #Juan-Les-Pins and #Saint-Paul-de-Vence . It was such an #inspiring place to be and one where I would really love to go back to soon. We visited during the #Jazz #festival - #Jazz-a-Juan and every evening the air was filled with the headonistic notes of Jazz #music - so romantic, it takes me back there just thinking about it.
The finished canvas, all that’s needed now is to get it framed.
‘Apples, Figs & Limes’
This is a section of one of my new still life paintings that I’m doing for an exhibition I have coming up @chesterartsfair in November.. The exhibition runs from the 15th - 17th November 2019 and will be held at Chester Racecourse. Watch my progress on my paintings here. If you would like to #commission a painting or are interested in purchasing any of the new pieces you see here, get in touch via the contact page on the website and to see the paintings I have available for sale click on the on-line store.
Seeing as we've had such beautiful weather lately, I decided to do a bit of a photo shoot out in the garden with my satin scarfs. The roses and flowers that the designs were inspired by, are out in full bloom at the moment, so it seemed quite appropriate to photograph them with these gorgeous David Austin Roses. See the promotional photograph I created below and click on the image to take you straight to my scarf collection.
Satin Scarf Collection
Cool, light and perfect for that summer getaway. Accessorise your summer wardrobe with one of Nicola’s beautiful satin scarfs. Available in the on-line store now. Click on the image to see the full collection.
Seaside shades mood board inspired by our recent trip to Seaton in Devon. Thinking about new ideas for future greetings card and print projects all based around particular colour themes,
Finally finished ‘We Have Arrived’, the first in a new series of illustrations for male greetings cards. It took a little longer than I expected, but I got there in the end.I kept finding I needed to add just that little bit more detail, until I knew it was finished. This will also soon be available as a fine art print in my on-line store. Click on the image to take you straight to my greetings card page on www.lovefromtheartist.com.
As it’s half term, in amongst a little illustrating, we managed to fit in another delightful family trip to the National Trust’s #Barrington-Court, near Illminster. We spent most of the time in the gardens there as the weather was so beautiful. The planting in the #herbaceous #borders was totally awe #inspiring and the white #wisteria’s hanging fronds looked like an #elaborate #chandelier, it was an absolute show stopper. See my #photographs from the day, above. Images © Nicola Jane Rabbett.
Work in progress. New Illustration - ‘We Have Arrived’.
#Work-in-progress - The first in a set of new #illustrations for #male #greetings #cards. This one is called 'We Have Arrived' and has been #inspired by #vintage #travel and #vacationing away on the #French #Riviera. Think - staying away in a beautiful holiday home or #swave hotel and arriving in style in a vintage 1960's #Jaguar. Think it might be something I'm #dreaming of - would be nice. #1960's #Jaguarillustration #arriveinstyle #frenchriviera #travelillustration #vacationinstyle #original #watercolour #painting #workinprogress #artistatwork #art #illustration #design # drawyourdreams #©nicolajanerabbett
Our family trip to #Tintinhull Gardens #National Trust, near Yeovil on Sunday was a sheer delight. I took so many photographs of the wonderful plants there, here are just a few of them. I think the close up of the bumble bee is one of my favourites and I can’t wait to draw him. Images © Nicola Jane Rabbett.
I’m looking forward to getting my new business card flyers back from #Moo.com. I just finished designing them yesterday and they’re going to be printed on pearlescent paper, which will give them a beautiful, luxurious feel.
‘ZanzibaR’
The first design in a new tropical inspired collection, which will be printed on soft velvet. This one features an exotic bird of paradise with watercolour palm leaves which have all been hand drawn and painted. This design will form part of my new summer collection and be available to buy as scatter cushions in the on-line store soon.
I’m currently #decorating our living room and bedroom and #designing new prints for the soft #furnishings within them. The three designs above are the first designs I’ve created, which are going to be printed on velvet. I’m very excited about making them up into products and will be posting updates and photographs of them on this page as I go. The #prints will also be available to purchase as scatter #cushions in the store once finished. Follow me on Instagram to see more on my creative journey. #Interiors #Interior #styling #print #design
‘Floral Renaissance’
Thank you to the lovely Anna who collected her painting at the weekend. Bought as a Birthday present for her mum. I hope your mum loves her new painting as much as I enjoyed working on it. Done in oils from photographs of a flower bouquet that I created first. See my photographs and the inspiration behind the painting, below.
Recently purchased, this 1920’s inspired, Art Deco style, glass cabinet. It provides a much needed focal point for our sitting room and acts as an alternative to a fire place. It was an absolute steal from Home Sense and I really love it. I’m planning to frame some of my monochrome illustrations to put on the wall above it, so I’ll post some new photos of them, once their done. #homesense #interiors #interiordesign
Head on over to the store for the January sale. Paintings, textiles, ceramics and illustrations are all included in the sale. Plus there’s an extra 10% off, site wide. Apply: JAN31 at checkout. Click on the image above to take you straight to the store.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
ooh, look at the pink chaise lounge. just can’t get enough of looking at it! Recently purchased from Home Sense, together with the sumptuous velvet lamp shade. The perfect interior backdrop to show off my bespoke monochrome cushions. I’ll be adding more designs to the store very soon.
My linen style monochrome cushions, beautifully finished with black chenille bobble trim. Now available in the store in the textiles and ceramics section. Head on over there to get yours.
Very excited about the up coming annual art exhibition in Kingston St Mary. I will be exhibiting oil paintings, fine art prints and greetings cards. Come in and see us and chat to the artists.
Here are some photo's of the truly inspirational gardens at the National Trust's 'Lytes Carey Manor' near Somerton in Somerset. Croquet on the front lawns and cream teas being served in the stable yard set the scene for a quintessentially english experience. Well worth the visit if you get the chance.
Stunning Lyme Bay
We had such a beautiful day for our trip to Lyme Bay on Saturday. It was the start of the Regatta week so there was lots of things going on for the holiday makers. We even managed to fit in a swim out in to the deeper waters which was bracing but wonderful at the same time. An inspirational day.
Somer Inspirations
This is my space at the Exhibition. The room where the exhibition is being held is above the main museum on the 1st Floor. Architecturally, it has the most amazing floor to ceiling arched windows that overlook Wells Cathedral and the Cathedral green. It really is a sight to behold and it's worth visiting, not only see the wonderful artwork on display from the 22 artists, but to witness the stunning views across the Cathedral green.
Somer Inspirations
An Exhibition of over 20 local artists, at the 'Wells & Mendip Museum'. On from the 1st - 11th August 2018. 10am - 4pm except Sundays. Featured art - 'After the Rain' - Oil on Canvas by Nicola Jane Rabbett.
This is one of my monochrome illustrations that I'm having printed on to linen, in preparation for making up into cushions to add to my new textile collection. Inspired by the sea. A small #monochrome #collection all inspired by #coastal #adventures, #travelling the #globe and meeting all manner of #sea #creatures along the way.
I'm starting to prepare for the up coming summer exhibition and will be working on new oil paintings, textiles and prints which I'm hoping to exhibit there. i'll also be posting new work here on the website and my social media channels as I go along. #Somerset #art #exhibition #wellsandmendip #museum #illustration #paintings #design #fineartprints #textiles #ceramics #sculpure
'Up Up & Away'
New plate and saucer design by Nicola Jane Rabbett. © Nicola Jane Rabbet 2018
New Easter Designs
This illustration along with lots of other lovely designs will shortly be available as greetings cards on the Love from the Artist website. Click on the link below or the 'Three Graces' image on the left to see my full greetings card collection.