Issue 3 Artist Spotlight | Nida Ansari
C+B: Tell us about yourself, Nida!
NA: My name is Nida Ansari, a home maker, mom to a toddler and an Artist living in Seattle since the last few years. I was born and raised in India. After getting my bachelors in accounting I decided art was my true calling and got a degree in Fine Arts. I have been creating ever since I can remember. Inspiration for my work comes from this unique attraction to lights and shadows I had since childhood. Since I moved to Seattle a few years ago, I find myself painting landscapes and nature-inspired by the beauty of PNW more than ever. The extreme contrast in light here creates bigger contrasts to the seasons. I love the constantly changing seasons and how each season has its own beauty. The vibrant bold colors of fall, the delicate beauty of spring, the mist in the mornings of winter, the filtered light from cloudy skies when it rains, the snow capped mountains. We have it all and it never ceases to amaze and be an endless source of inspiration to me!
I used to own a hand painted shoe business few years ago, that is something many people don't know about me.
C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?
NA: Obviously I feel I am constantly evolving as an artist. For years, art school seemed to have engrained rules into my head about what I should and should not be doing. Initially I pursued realism and found myself being slave to photographs and constantly being scared of ruining my painting. Now I find myself more open to experimenting, confident in my approach. I am loving this newly found freedom!
C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.
NA: As a mom to a 2 year old, it is difficult to work on my own terms and preferred time. So, my day mostly revolves around my son's schedule. I create when he naps in the afternoon and evenings, having prepared meals and snacks before hand. I also love the natural daylight in the afternoon. Some days I get several hours uninterrupted and some days I might do a little here and there and even a small piece may take days to complete.
C+B: What is the one accomplishment you most hope to achieve in your creative career?
NA: To be able to display my work internationally.
Find and support Nida here:
IG: @fineartby_nida
(Pebbles, 6" x 4.5", watercolor, ©Nida Ansari)
If my work was a meal it would be: I have been told often that my work is soothing to the soul. So, I would describe my work as comfort food.
I would love to be able to share my work with: Thomas W. Schaller, he is one of my favorite plein-air and architectural watercolor painters. I have followed his work for the longest time and he is one of the reasons I chose watercolor as a medium to create.
If I were to work in another medium, I would choose: Oil paint, because of the wide expanse of colors, the ease of use, the layering ability and the forgiving nature of the medium.
My hope for those viewing my work: That they experience the joy I feel while creating my work.
