Elizabeth Nicholls is a Melbourne based figurative artist working mostly in watercolour on paper. Elizabeth’s creative side showed at a young age with drawing rainbows, talking to bugs in the grass for hours and playing in her mother’s earthenware pottery shed making small animals out of clay and selling them. Elizabeth completed her formal art studies at the Melbourne School of Art in 2003 with her first solo exhibition in 2008 with Tacit Art Gallery Melbourne, which help fund her first trip around Italy, Paris and London.
Figurative drawing informs Elizabeth’s daily arts practice; technically and emotionally. Through drawing she finds space to contemplate, play and create work with layers of meaning. A sprawling sense of joy and the theatrical can often be found in Elizabeth’s work through spontaneous and decisive mark-making, movement, carving and abstracting the space within and around the paper to respond and record a moment in time to be share with others.
Photo: Jesse Corcoran @jcorcoranphotography
Art Education and Qualifications:
2000-2003 Fine Art and Design, Melbourne School of Art
1998-1999 Associate Diploma in Graphic Design, Melbourne School of Art
1989 Fine Art and Design, Box Hill TAFE, Whitehorse Campus
2000-2003 Fine Art and Design, Melbourne School of Art
1998-1999 Associate Diploma in Graphic Design, Melbourne School of Art
1989 Fine Art and Design, Box Hill TAFE, Whitehorse Campus
Tutors & Mentors:
Stefan Gevers, Contemporary Watercolour, The Art Room, Footscray 2023
Advanced Lifedrawing with Daisy Perkins, Dulwich Art Group and School UK 2020-2022
Drawing from History, The Renaissance Workshop UK, Jonathan Long, 2021-2022
Butoh Performance and Art with Yumi Umiumare and Jacqui Stockdale, 2021
Drawing tuition with Terry Matassoni 1998-2000
Painting tuition with Charles Green 1989, Sarah Tomasetti 2002
Life Drawing tuition with Timothy Bateson and Sharon Sutcliffe 2001-2003
Drawing and Abstraction Tuition with Margarey Hammel 2003 - 2007
Illustration tuition from Terry Abrahams, Anna Pignantaro and Gerard Hall 2000
Photography tuition with Daniela Martin 2000
Improvisational Dance with Barbara Weiss 1991
Design Concepts tuition with Stephen Wickham 1989
Spanish Flamenco Dance – Shirley Gill - Spanish Dancer, 1987-1988
Stefan Gevers, Contemporary Watercolour, The Art Room, Footscray 2023
Advanced Lifedrawing with Daisy Perkins, Dulwich Art Group and School UK 2020-2022
Drawing from History, The Renaissance Workshop UK, Jonathan Long, 2021-2022
Butoh Performance and Art with Yumi Umiumare and Jacqui Stockdale, 2021
Drawing tuition with Terry Matassoni 1998-2000
Painting tuition with Charles Green 1989, Sarah Tomasetti 2002
Life Drawing tuition with Timothy Bateson and Sharon Sutcliffe 2001-2003
Drawing and Abstraction Tuition with Margarey Hammel 2003 - 2007
Illustration tuition from Terry Abrahams, Anna Pignantaro and Gerard Hall 2000
Photography tuition with Daniela Martin 2000
Improvisational Dance with Barbara Weiss 1991
Design Concepts tuition with Stephen Wickham 1989
Spanish Flamenco Dance – Shirley Gill - Spanish Dancer, 1987-1988
Solo Exhibition:
2025 – Lemon, Gemini Melbourne Winebar Gallery, Coburg
2008 – Revealing Layers, TACIT Galleries (T. J. Bateson), Abbotsford
2025 – Lemon, Gemini Melbourne Winebar Gallery, Coburg
2008 – Revealing Layers, TACIT Galleries (T. J. Bateson), Abbotsford
Group Exhibitions:
2024 – Green's the colour of Spring, Neon Parlour, Thornbury
2024 – A lot of Gems, Neon Parlour, Thornbury
2023 – Kindred, Resident Artists, Divisions Gallery, Pentridge Coburg
2023 – Olivine Wine Bar, Local Artists Collection, Curator Tegan Iversen
2022 – Separate & Silent, Divisions Gallery, Pentridge Coburg
2020 – TACIT Art Galleries celebrating 20 years
2015 – Animal Impressions, Fund Raiser for the Sea Shepherd, Melbourne
2012 – Bottoms Up - Annual Drinking Show, Napier Hotel, Fitzroy
2010 – Linden Postcard show, Linden Gallery, St Kilda
2007 – Linden Postcard show
2006 – Recent Works, The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
2005 – Intrinsic Motivation, The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
2004 – Inaugural Life Drawing Exhibition, Jiotto Studio, Fitzroy
2003 – Free Association, The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
2000 – Images 2000, Glen Eira City Gallery, Caulfield
2001 – Arts Blitz, The Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin
2024 – Green's the colour of Spring, Neon Parlour, Thornbury
2024 – A lot of Gems, Neon Parlour, Thornbury
2023 – Kindred, Resident Artists, Divisions Gallery, Pentridge Coburg
2023 – Olivine Wine Bar, Local Artists Collection, Curator Tegan Iversen
2022 – Separate & Silent, Divisions Gallery, Pentridge Coburg
2020 – TACIT Art Galleries celebrating 20 years
2015 – Animal Impressions, Fund Raiser for the Sea Shepherd, Melbourne
2012 – Bottoms Up - Annual Drinking Show, Napier Hotel, Fitzroy
2010 – Linden Postcard show, Linden Gallery, St Kilda
2007 – Linden Postcard show
2006 – Recent Works, The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
2005 – Intrinsic Motivation, The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
2004 – Inaugural Life Drawing Exhibition, Jiotto Studio, Fitzroy
2003 – Free Association, The Fitzroy Gallery, Fitzroy
2000 – Images 2000, Glen Eira City Gallery, Caulfield
2001 – Arts Blitz, The Kingston Arts Centre, Moorabbin
Residency:
2024 – Gemini Wine Bar, Sydney Road, Coburg
2023 – Pentridge Studios, Champ Street, Coburg
2024 – Gemini Wine Bar, Sydney Road, Coburg
2023 – Pentridge Studios, Champ Street, Coburg
Prizes:
2012 – Special Mention, Art in the Windows Sydney Road Brunswick, Moreland City Council
2012 – Special Mention, Art in the Windows Sydney Road Brunswick, Moreland City Council
Commissions:
2023 – Olivine Wine Bar, Pentridge. Watercolour series for 50 Page Wine Menu
2013 – Works on paper, Bolger Project – “32 Stories from my father’s life”
2023 – Olivine Wine Bar, Pentridge. Watercolour series for 50 Page Wine Menu
2013 – Works on paper, Bolger Project – “32 Stories from my father’s life”