Mimi I, II & III, 2022
Deirdre Nicholls
Most artists make work for the viewer to look at; Deirdre makes works that look at you!
Born Edinburgh in 1954 Deirdre trained in Sculpture and Printmaking at Liverpool and Winchester Schools of Art. An early winner of the Northern Young Contemporaries, Deirdre has lived and worked in France and Austria, returning recently to establish a studio in Ettrickbridge.Her specialisms are figurative sculpture and watercolour painting. Taught by William Crozier, William Pye, Patrick Heron, Norman Ackroyd and John Bellany, Deirdre has work in public and private collections in the UK, EU and US.
Much of her work is portraiture and the aim in this is not just to capture the essence of the sitter or creature, but also to try to make the work look different from different angles according to the changes of light or the viewer’s mood, so that the piece continues to reveal itself over time. Work always starts with drawing followed by modelling in clay, proceeding with attention to proportional and anatomical logic rather than absolute correctness. Her best-known works are bronze portraits in the University of Edinburgh collection, and in 2019 she won a commission to create a bust of Nelson Mandela for Glasgow City Chambers.
Recently returned to Scotland, Deirdre has a studio in Ettrickbridge.