An Interview with the Artist Nicole Willbur
An interview with the artist Nicole Willbur is what’s on tap today in RGG land. You’ve watched her in action here before, now learn the thought process and creative impetus behind the execution of one of the contemporary art world’s truly remarkable oeuvres.
By John G. Stamos
Many RGG readers and subscribers will remember today’s interviewee from her last appearance here just this past June. For those new readers and subscribers who might have arrived late to the party, I’ll quickly recap: Last month, the copiously talented and highly prolific artist, Nicole Willbur, visited the epicenter of all things RGG – my garden itself – and proceeded to put on a plein air watercolor painting clinic right before my (and my camera’s) eyes. She executed a lovely, diminutive watercolor interpretation of an Asiatic lily bloom, en plein air, and the highlights of her afternoon of painting were captured in an abridged video feature. In Live and Written Event Coverage in Sights and Sounds, you’ll find “Artist Nicole Willbur in My Garden: Painting en Plein Air”. If you’ve not watched it, I highly recommend doing so. It serves as the perfect complement to today’s feature, “An Interview with the Artist Nicole Willbur”.
Note: All images in “An Interview with the Artist Nicole Willbur”, including the featured image above, are of individual works by Nicole Willbur, and have been included here with her permission.
I first learned of Nicole Willbur and her remarkable work at an exhibition at my late mate Dee Dee’s gallery and boutique, Customs Imports, in 2022. Dee Dee (and Dee Dee’s assistant, Susan) were blown away by Nicole’s work, talked about it incessantly, and couldn’t wait for me to see it for myself. Once I did, I realized that the hype was insufficient. What I encountered were works on canvas executed in boldness of color and ingenious use of line that immediately evoked the fearlessness, drama, and visual impact of one of my favorite schools and periods – The Venetians of the High Renaissance. But there were elements of the Barbizon School, Expressionism, and Modernism incorporated in the work, and a strong sense of kinship with Flemish Baroque and Dutch Golden Age works was evident, as well. This amalgam of both multiple styles and multiple references was, as you’ll read below in the interview’s transcript, entirely understandable. Ms. Willbur’s passions and influences poured forth, in the form of striking brushwork, line, color, and tangible emotion, onto each of her canvases. And the artist, as you’ll come to know shortly, is not one to be pigeonholed.
I experienced Nicole Willbur’s work, and immediately recognized that I had to acquire at least some of it.
The upshot: Three of her works hang on the walls of my residence as integral parts of my treasured fine and decorative art collection. (These works, incidentally, can be viewed in the Fine and Decorative Art image gallery right here in The RGG, and one of the three is pictured immediately below.)
Nicole Willbur currently resides in Indiana in a small community on the southern edge of Lake Michigan called Dune Acres, but lived and painted in Chicago from 2005 through 2020. She’s also lived in Michigan (her birthplace), Minnesota, and New Jersey, where she continued to hone her craft and amass an ever-evolving oeuvre. She’s been drawing and painting since the age of three, and demonstrated a precocious artistic ability that led her to Central Michigan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Arts, and a Minor Degree in Art History in 1993.
Perhaps the most salient point leading up to the interview that follows here is the fact that Nicole Willbur’s artistic impetus has brought her to the southern shores of Lake Michigan, and, not at all surprisingly, she’s become a veritable artistic luminary in this land that straddles the border of Michigan and Indiana, and which exists as an important bastion for the fine arts in the Midwestern United States. Her influence as an artist manifests itself in countless ways, and her association with a number of Northeastern Indiana and Southwestern Michigan painters’ groups, galleries, and venues ensures that both she and her amazing work are invariably in the art loving public’s spotlight.
As a collector of Nicole Willbur’s work, and a passionate ambassador of the arts, I felt that an interview with this incredibly talented painter was imperative. I just had to know what makes an artist of Nicole’s caliber tick. I knew that her thoughts would be fascinating, and, of course, I was right. I do believe, my dear readers and subscribers, that you’ll think so, too. Please enjoy “An Interview with the Artist Nicole Willbur”. The written transcript of our exchange is below.
JS: First of all, Nicole, thank you for sitting down with me. I’ve been looking forward to this interview for quite a while, and I’ve had a lot of questions popping into my head as the anticipation built for this meeting. I guess the best place to start is with the impetus behind your work. You’ve mentioned that you’ve been drawing from a very young age. How different, if at all, do you think the inclination, or predilection, or urge, or need to create – the thing that makes you want to do it – has been for you as an adult compared to what you experienced as a little kid? In other words, has the motive force behind your artistic creation remained the same since childhood, or has that very elemental need evolved with your work as the years have passed?
NW: There is no easy answer to this question, and the answer is both yes and no. I’ll start with a story from when I was in the 1st grade at school. I was having some issues with my reading lessons and I was falling behind. The teacher was concerned and spoke to my mother about the issue. Apparently, I would stare up at the ceiling and become “lost.” I was not paying attention to the teacher or the chalk board. After several weeks and nearly being held back, the teacher finally sat on the floor beside my desk and looked up at the ceiling with me. She said, “What are you looking at Nicole?” Well, I guess my answer was very simple. The ceiling tiles were the acoustical type and had several holes in them. I told my teacher I was drawing pictures in my head by connecting the dots in the tiles. The teacher realized she had to “refocus” my attention. Even at the age of 5, making “pictures” out of any tool that I could, was glued into the fiber of my being.
In today’s world, I typically use a pen or pencil to sketch. I doodle on everything. I still envision art and images and pictures in my head. But now, they’re accompanied by the knowledge that comes from studying art, practicing art for many years, and simply having life experience. This includes color combinations, design aspects, ratio and proportion, feeling, and intuition among many other elements.
For me, what makes me different from a non-artist is that fact that I cannot NOT make art. I am always making it, even in my head. And I have been doing this since I was a child.
JS: I’m curious about your subject matter and its evolution over the years. When you first started drawing and/or painting as a child, did you recreate existing images, or did you rely on your imagination as inspiration for your creations?
NW: Both. I used to love to “Draw Tippy”, from the Art Institute’s ad in the magazines. I used to love to draw nature as I saw it outside – flowers, insects, animals. I also made imaginary drawings just using colors and shapes. Part of learning to draw as a child was also an association of colors and shapes. “The sun is round. The sun is yellow. Find the crayon and shape that match the image you see and the image of the sun in your head. Now, expand on that image”. I hope that makes sense.
JS: Perfect sense. It sounds to me that you had some amazing artistic inclinations as a child – almost archetypal, actually. Now, what about today? I know you paint en plein air, and the scenery before you in this methodology is obviously your subject, but what about your other work? Does your subject matter ever spring Athena-like from your own head? Is your subject matter ever something that, until the time that you’ve physically rendered it, exists only in your imagination?
NW: I would say today, I am not so different from that long ago child. (I do not draw Tippy from the magazines anymore). I’ve always been a “nature and animals” kind of child, and I’m still the same as an adult. Much of my subject matter revolves around nature. Sometimes I go off the rails, so to speak, and do something abstract or fantastical. I get bored using the same subject matter and style all the time, so I tend to change things up. Much of my art is inspired by traveling, as well. And yes, it exists only in my head until I can get it on paper or canvas. I look out the train window say, and see a beautiful vista. But I see it in technicolor, or with different shapes, or more saturated colors. Until I can produce the image as art, it lives just in my head. My brain always sees two images when I look at something – the one I actually see in reality, and the altered one that I end up painting.
JS: You’ve been influenced by a legendary, yet extremely diverse, cadre of artists. O’Keefe, Kahlo, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Vermeer… they’re unified here by the influence they’ve had on you as a painter and artist. How do you reconcile these very diverse styles and periods into a cogent, shaping amalgam with which to infuse your own work?
NW: I love art history and am inspired by a host of artists that came before me. All of them have in common a passion and dedication to art. That is the unifying quality. Outside of that aspect, I see Rembrandt’s golden tones and diffusion of light. Vermeer’s patient layers of glazing and his sense of quietude. Van Gogh’s energy, brushwork and turning his pain in life to happiness on a canvas. Kahlo’s vivid and unapologetic imagery. And O’Keefe… ahhhhh. The lines, the shapes, the nature, the seeming simplicity. When I see their work and passion and dedication, it makes me want to run (not walk) to my studio and start making art.
JS: Of all these brilliant artists who’ve informed your work and captured both your heart and your imagination with their own brilliance, which of them has influenced your work the most profoundly, and in what way? Which one has personally moved you the most profoundly, and in what way?
NW: Another difficult question. My answer? All of them! I literally flew to Amsterdam just to see a Vermeer show. I can spend an hour in front of an O’Keefe at the Art Institute of Chicago. It is still the same answer as in the previous question: It is their passion for art that moves me. It moves me to make more art, make better art, keep making art. That being said, I will tell a story of seeing just one painting, and how it moved me. A number of years ago, The Mauritshuis in The Hague was undergoing a renovation. They took a few pieces of their collection and sent them on tour. First stop was the Frick Collection in NYC. And one of those paintings was Vermeer’s “The Girl with the Pearl Earring”. I flew to the Frick, of course, and waited in a long line, just to have a few minutes alone in front of this painting. When it was my turn, I got as close as was allowed, I looked at the brush strokes, at the cracks in the varnish, at the colors, and I was so overwhelmed I began sobbing. I could not stop. That painting is beautiful, powerful, quiet, intimate… it was like I was speaking to Vermeer personally.
JS: Let’s get away from which and how other artists have influenced you, and talk about what inspires you. What gets you fired up to create a work?
NW: So many things… Traveling. Nature. A beautiful vista. The color in a flower petal. The way sunlight hits the water. Architecture. Things that are old or have a nice patina. Going to art museums and galleries. Being around other artists. The way sunlight saturates a landscape. A cat’s whiskers. An object with a good shape. I can be inspired to create art by almost anything. It can even be something I saw in a dream.
JS: So, how would you describe your own style?
NW: Based in reality but with an expressionistic edge. I push the boundaries of what I see with color and shape. I love bold colors and am not afraid to use them.
JS: I know we talked about your subject matter just a moment ago, but would you mind giving me a rundown of what you like create? Your floral paintings are magnificent, and you’ve mentioned to me in the past that flowers might just be your favorite subject. Is this still the case? What other subject matter do you really, really love?
NW: I do love painting flowers – their shapes and lines, their colors. Flowers can be so many things, innocent, amorous, sexy, imperfect (yet perfect), full. I never tire of rendering them. Many of the things I mentioned when you asked about my inspiration apply here as well. I also love painting a feeling or an atmosphere, like a moonrise or a sunset.
JS: You’ve already answered some fairly substantial aspects of this question early on, but, when discussing the esoteric subject of artistic inspiration, a linear-thinking, slow-witted guy like me can’t help but require at least a little clarifying reiteration: When painting from a model, whether a landscape, a photo, a flower… any model, do you try to exactly recreate what you’re seeing and working from, or do you place your own interpretation – your own take – into what you’re painting?
NW: I always put my own take into anything I paint. I may “see” the subject differently in my head, with more saturated colors, or with different shapes, or with more shadow and drama. And really, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re not that slow-witted!
JS: Are you kidding me? It takes me an hour-and-a-half to watch 60 Minutes. Don’t hit me, Nicole! Ok. Seriously, now… How many ways is it possible for a painter to make a subject his or her own? What are some of those ways, and the techniques behind them?
NW: Ok. Seriously. By changing the colors. Shapes. Shadows. Eliminating details, or adding them where they are not there in reality. And really, it happens naturally and organically as the artist puts his or her own feeling into the work.
JS: How many different media do you, and have you worked in? What are your media of choice?
NW: I work in oils, acrylics, watercolors, drawing media (graphite, charcoal, ink, markers). I also do some collage and mixed media. My medium of choice when I am painting plein air is watercolor. It is easy to transport, and is easy to clean up with no turpentines or thinners. I also love watercolor at home. I use a very high pigment, Japanese style watercolor that gives me those bold colors I love. In the winter, when painting in my studio, I love working with oils. They are heavier to me, and better suited for those cold winter months. Acrylics are usually used out of necessity. When I would like to use oils, but need a painting to dry faster than oils will allow, I use acrylics.
JS: What about playing to an audience… are you ever commissioned to create work? And do you ever create work with a particular event, venue, or audience in mind?
NW: Every time I plein air paint, it is painting to an audience. As I am painting out in public, people will walk up, ask to see my art, ask me questions. As an artist, you always need to be prepared when painting plein air. I also take commissions, but only very occasionally. And then usually with someone I know. Commissions typically come in the form of pet portraits. I can only do so many pet portraits before I get bored. Also, people that commission art (many times, not all) want it painted their way, or they want it to be realistic. As an artist, in cases like these, I lose freedom to paint the way I want. I am just being used for my drawing skills.
JS: Speaking of venues… your work has been a part of numerous art shows – at least 70 – over the last twenty years. How did you come to be aligned with these shows and their respective galleries and venues? How do you connect with shows, galleries, or venues now?
NW: When I first started showing work, I found juried shows in galleries via online art resources. Once you start showing, more and more doors open up for you. I still find some art opportunities online by searching. Some opportunities come to me through Social Media, like Instagram and Facebook. Also, my art network is much bigger today than it was when I started. Some opportunities come through other artists, or by meeting the right people in the right place at the right time! I also have lots of art showing opportunities though art memberships in different organizations.
JS: You’ve never been represented by a specific dealer or gallery. Why do you think that’s the case? Is it mostly your decision, and if so, why?
NW: I have never searched out sole representation from a gallery. I do not want to be stuck in a situation where I’d be painting long series of the same types of works, which is typical of gallery style work. I like to be able to paint what I like and what size I like, etc. Making art on my own terms is more important to me than gallery representation.
JS: You’re heavily involved with a number of amazing painting groups, societies, and art galleries and venues. Can you tell me a little about each of them?
NW: I am a member and the Coordinator for the Duneland Plein Air Painters. We are a group of over 100 local artists who paint outdoors and together all around the region. We have at least one show every year featuring the art we made from the previous season. Sometimes we have more than one show. We also get invited to different events to set up and paint. Some of these are nature festivals, wine festivals, fairs, garden walks, etc. People really seem to love seeing a group of us artists descend on a certain location, set up with our easels, and start painting. I am also a volunteer and a member of the Exhibition Committee at the Art Barn in Valparaiso, Indiana. The Art Barn is really doing wonderful things for artists and the community. They offer a multitude of classes and workshops, and are very instrumental in bringing art to the community at large. They’re a great resource for artists, and they also offer many shows throughout the year, giving artists opportunities and space to show and sell their work. I am also a Member of the Watercolor Society of Indiana. They are also providing artists places to exhibit, putting on workshops, and educating people about the discipline of working in the watercolor medium.
JS: Ok, Nicole, last question here… You recently executed a plein air watercolor work in my garden, with my “Lily Patch” planting feature as your subject. You concentrated on one particular flower as the painting’s focal point, but added foliage and additional flowers to the work. This was captured on video and an abridged version was featured here in The RGG. While you worked and I filmed, I likened the experience of watching your work evolve to what I’ve actually encountered with living, growing plants in my garden: your painting literally grew and blossomed right before my eyes, just exactly as my garden’s plants often do over the course of a particular day. Are these parallels inescapable? Just how organic is the process – from conceptualization through execution – of creating a painting?
NW: The process is very organic. You can have the best laid plans for a painting in your head, even do a few rough sketches ahead of time. Ultimately, the plans can change as the artwork evolves. This is especially true when painting outdoors. You could get raindrops, bugs, falling leaves, and just about any other outdoorsy material that you can imagine dropping into your painting. The artist is always modifying and changing the work to accommodate the environment. We also modify and change the work as we see it evolve on the paper or canvas. In the case of plein air painting, you could be chasing the sun, or maybe the work isn’t turning out on paper the way you saw it in your head, so you make changes. Very organic, to be sure.
JS: Nicole, thank you so much for this excellent discussion. It’s been fascinating learning your art’s backstory, and hearing from you what moves you to create. You’ve spent a good deal of time with me here, and I’m very grateful.
NW: It’s been my pleasure, John. Thank you for your interest in my work, and for the great questions! I really enjoyed this interview, and I hope The RGG audience enjoyed it, too!
To see more of Nicole Willbur’s work, and for purchasing information, please visit and follow the artist on her Instagram account at https://www.instagram.com/nicolewillbur/.
My many thanks go to Nicole for sitting down with me and sharing her thoughts here in The Renaissance Garden Guy – I believe that at least some of the glorious mystery behind that which moves a purely creative soul to create has been explained in the course of this enlightening, delightful conversation. And, as always, my dear readers and subscribers, my gratitude and appreciation go to each of you for your kind interest and your readership.
Cheers, and Happy Gardening!
The Renaissance Garden Guy is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate, The Renaissance Garden Guy earns from qualifying purchases.
Additionally, The Renaissance Garden Guy is a participant in the Bluehost, SeedsNow, and A2 Hosting affiliate programs. The Renaissance Garden Guy earns a fee/commission each time a visitor clicks on an ad or banner in this site from one of these companies and makes a subsequent qualifying purchase.
Please click here to view The Renaissance Garden Guy Disclosure page.
Wonderful and very interesting interview. Her work is outstanding, I absolutely love it ❤️
I’m so glad you enjoyed the interview, Roxxy, and that you appreciate Nicole’s work. She really is incredibly talented. I really do love her work (I’ve got three of her pieces in my collection), too, but I’m probably equally fascinated by her creative process. The dynamic of creative thinking like Nicole’s is endlessly intriguing to me. Thank you for reading the interview, Roxxy, and for commenting here. Your kind interest and lovely thoughts are truly appreciated.
Awesome interview. She is a spectacular artiste. I resonate with her deep paintings – like the red roses.
Thank you, Annie, for reading the interview and for viewing Nicole’s work. And of course, thank you for commenting here. I do agree with you – Nicole is an incredibly talented painter. I absolutely love her work, but I think I love understanding the creative impetus behind it almost as much as I love the paintings themselves. Her thoughts and her creative process are fascinating. Thanks once again, Annie.
Great interview! I enjoyed finding out more about Nicole, her sources of inspiration, and her process. Her work is stunning. It is wonderful to hear that there are so many artists and art organizations working in the area. And I think it’s great that RGG readers get chances like these to learn so much about your own passions. Again, this was a great interview.
Thank you for reading the interview, Kevin, and thank you for your kind comments, as well. Nicole Willbur is a remarkable talent, and her creative process – from conceptualization through completion – is, to me, absolutely fascinating. I think pieces like this interview do provide RGG readers with a good deal of insight into not only the mindset of prodigious creators like Ms. Willbur, but also some indication of what fuels my own appreciation of the fine and decorative arts. Thanks once again for reading the interview and for commenting here, Kevin. Your kind interest and thoughts are truly appreciated.
This was a fascinating and in depth interview. Many thanks.
Thank you for reading it, Rick, and for commenting here. I’m glad you found it interesting. I’ve always been fascinated by what inspires and informs creative people. Nicole is a prodigious creator, and she’s exceptionally talented. Having this discussion with her was an edifying experience for me. Thanks once again, Rick.
Super interview & great to see Nicole’s work.
Thank you so much, Sam. I’m glad you enjoyed Nicole’s interview. And I’m glad you appreciate her work. I think she’s an amazing talent – she’s prolific and she’s profoundly inspired. I’m proud to feature three of her paintings in my own collection. I appreciate your interest and your kind comments, Sam. Thank you once again.
Thank YOU, John! Doing this interview with you was big fun. I hope to paint in your garden again this summer!
It was lots of fun, and extremely interesting. Let’s plan your next visit. It’ll be great!
Thank you Sam. John asks some really provocative questions. It was a fun interview!