“I am a storyteller and my work tells the stories of what is going on around me,” says Nadine Shillingford. “It explores the people and animals I interact with, the music I listen to, the events that are happening. It tells my story and because I try to widen my circle every day it tells your story, too.”
Nadine’s original charcoal drawings are surrounded by a pixelated array of colorful cloth and paper squares that make up the subject's clothes and background.
“I’ve always liked drawing and painting but the event that really prompted me to begin and sustain an art practice was the discovery of the combination of charcoal on toned gray paper in March 2019. I drew my first drawing and really loved what it looked like so I decided to draw every day. It became a hobby which became a habit which became a business.”
I do most of my charcoal drawings in one sitting at night so I know a piece is finished when it’s time for me to go to bed. It’s trickier for my larger collage pieces. I know they are finished when the subject on the canvas has come alive and the patchwork is balanced and flows nicely.
The most inspirational place was a small artist garden near the Sacré-Cœur in Montmartre in the 18th arrondissement in Paris. It was a beautiful experience to walk in the garden tucked in to the side of the hill. There were so many artists with their easels drawing and painting and a gentleman was playing violin. I want to go back there one day to draw.
"Sunshine" is the name I gave to a charcoal and pastel drawing of a very grumpy looking bulldog.
