About Me

My name is Nicola Hallman and I am an emerging amateur artist from the South-West of England.

I am entirely self taught, leaving school after taking my GCSE's many ,many, many, many years ago!! I held a few office/admin based roles within various companies, and after starting a family I decided that I wanted to try something different.

I launched my own yarn-craft based business ‘Fleabubs & Lala’ in 2012, supplying handmade items to the yarn world and became renowned for my ergonomically designed polymer clay crochet hooks, and hand dyed yarns. This has been really successful over the years, and I have made a name for myself in the yarny community.

During the great lockdown of 2020 ‘Lemon Coral Quay’ was created as I found therapy once again in drawing and painting. Initially this was more of an outlet for myself, being in isolation with my family, coping with a demanding rise in sales due to the pandemic, and struggling with mental health issues.

Drawing and painting had always been one of my main passions, having previously produced pieces predominantly in oil and watercolour. I used the time to introduce other medias, explore with resins and alcohol inks, and generally experiment and play.

Colour has always been the leading feature in my work, I have a fascination for the bright and bold, and a lure to colour combination, theory and mixing.

I base a lot of my pieces on body positivity and body acceptance, and I aim for my art to show how the human body, in whatever form it takes, holds immense beauty. I love to use bold, vibrant colours in all my work, to help enhance and celebrate all the curves, bumps, folds & features. I call my work 'Body Joyous '.

I also love to include fictional side stories for my glorious, joyous bodies, with an element of humour and often a cheeky little plot!

A recent piece from my collection ‘Body Joyous’ featured in the ‘GAIA-The Origin’ contemporary art exhibition at M.A.D.S.Milano Gallery in Milan.

Another of my pieces, entitled 'Pip & Betty' appeared on the Channel 4 show from Grayson Perry, 'Grayson's Art Club'. During the 'Love' episode the painting was selected as one of Comedian Bill Bailey's favourites pieces and will be included in the 'Grayson's Art Club' upcoming exhibition at MAC in Birmingham from December 2022.

I have also exhibited in the Burton Art Gallery in Bideford, Mill Street Gallery in Bideford, Studio Kind in Braunton, and Castle Museum in Bude. In addition I have participated in a handful of virtual online exhibitions with Artmakers.

Originally from Bedfordshire, I moved to Devon with my Husband Chris in 2004, and in 2012 we moved to a beautiful coastal village not far from the Cornish border with our three children. Fully embracing rural life in this beautiful setting, I have found so much inspiration for abstract seascape painting, which is available in many outlets in the local area.

I have also been working on colour based abstract pieces. I particularly love too work colour flow into my works, and trying new methods and techniques to mix and blend and produce glorious textures.

My hope is that during the Autumn of 2022 I will migrate my work station from the easel at my kitchen table to the studio, and concentrate on making my artwork my priority going forward. This will please my family who will no longer have to eat around my canvases, and trip over paintbrushes and books. I will miss being so close to the fridge but we all have to suffer for our art!