Young artist to watch in 2021
Nicole Parish, Queen’s Garden, oil, 20 x 20.
From: Utah.
Art Education: Apprenticeship with Casey Childs.
Style: Contemporary realism.
Creative Spark: Insects are really interesting to me. I love painting them. Every time I discover a new one, I get excited to capture it.
Other Passions: I love entomology and learning about insects. I have more than 300 insect specimens, all ethically sourced. I get a lot of exotic ones from entomologists doing genetics research. I use the insects from my collection as reference material for my paintings. I also love outer space, astronomy, and astrophotography.
One Thing People Don’t Know About You: I am autistic.
Best Advice Received: You are not painting an object but how light interacts with it.
Biggest Fear: Balloons popping.
Quirkiest Trait: Currently I’m raising Polyphemus moths.
Pet Peeve: Because I am autistic, nonverbal communication can be difficult for me. I have a hard time recognizing social cues and facial expressions. Because of this it can be frustrating when people are communicating with me in a way that is difficult for me to understand.
Mantra or Motto: Capture the beauty that others cannot see.
Favorite Work by Another Artist: THE LADY OF SHALOTT by John William Waterhouse.
Price Range: $75 to $2,000.
Representation: Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT; Lark & Key, Charlotte, NC; Anthony’s Antiques & Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT; www.nickiparish3.wixsite.com/nicoleparishfineart3.
This story appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.
To read the full list of 21 Under 31 artists for 2021, click here.