Ross Nicoll

Ross learned art from his father, British commercial artist Gordon Nicoll, who insisted on correct drawing. That lesson was never forgotten and, whether in water color, oils or acrylics, drawing is always the dominant feature of his work. Another fatherly lesson was not to depend on art for a living. Ross entered engineering, beginning as a technical illustrator, which further enhanced his drawing skills. He came to Seattle 45 years ago and retired from an engineering career twelve years ago. At that time, Ross made art, which had been a life-long hobby, his full time profession.

Whatever medium he's working in, his first step is usually to do the drawing in pen and ink or charcoal before applying the color. He usually sketches a scene on site and takes a few photos to use as backup reference in the studio. The finished work is done by copying the original sketch, often to a larger scale, and often without reference to the photos. Ross believes that the time spent doing the on-site sketch fixes the important features in his head well enough to make a good picture. Sometimes the photo reveals details that would be better ignored.

For subject matter, Ross's background instinctlively draws him towards things that were constructed, which float on water or run on wheels. Ross clearly prefers realistic to abstract work, but does not admire realism taken to the level of photography. Somewhere is a middle ground where he feels that he fits - recognizable forms treated with some daring and with visible traces of the artist's handwork.

Ross is a founder member of Kirkland's artist-owned cooperative Parklane Gallery where he always has some work on display. He is a member of the Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS), the Eastside Association of Fine Arts (EAFA), and Seattle Co-Arts and has exhibited work at their juried shows. He also has work on display at the Issaquah Gallery, the Kaewyn Gallery (Bothell) and the Lakeshore Gallery (Kirkland) and in several businesses in Seattle. Ross also has several pieces of his work in private collections in the U.K. and in Florida and California.