Artist Nicole Simmons: Evoking Joy Through Painting

Nicole Simmons was hanging her artwork in Homeland’s sunny Florida Room Gallery when a resident came by.

“Ooh, look at the pretty pictures,” the resident said. “They are so beautiful.”

That was music to Simmons’ ear. As a self-taught artist who recently discovered her love for painting, she loves connecting with people who express their appreciation.

“I like hearing that people get something out of it,” she said.

Simmons is the artist for the summer 2024 edition of the Community Gallery Initiative. Through the initiative, the Art Association of Harrisburg matches local artists with exhibit spaces at area businesses and facilities, rotating the exhibits quarterly.

Initially, Simmons thought she’d try painting as a new hobby. Five years after graduating from Gettysburg College with a degree in political science and a minor in Spanish, she became curious about the “paint and sip” trend.

“As soon as my brush hit the canvas, I thought, ‘This is awesome.’”

Initially, Simmons expected to work in cartooning and animation, but experienced artists suggested that she get a grounding in portraits and painting techniques first.

“So, I kind of went on a tangent, and I’ve been on that tangent ever since,” she said.

Today, Simmons works as a fundraising researcher and strategist at Dickinson College. Art is her creative expression outlet. She paints in a studio in her recently refurbished basement, experimenting with media and techniques.

Texture and subtle collage are evident in the pieces brightening the Homeland hallway. Her mixed-media pieces might blend plaster, collage, and acrylics. One painting of birch trees was created with oil paint and cold wax. for a cake-frosting look that inspired its title, “Frosty Twilight.”

Simmons primarily learned to paint from YouTube videos, online classes, and through the Art Association of Harrisburg.

For her Homeland show, Simmons brought two collections featuring butterflies and birch trees. The butterfly collection emerged from her memories of catching butterflies as a child. As she painted, she recognized that butterflies also represented her transformation into an artist.

“I chose butterflies as a fun thing to do, but after a while, I realized that butterflies have a deeper meaning for me,” she said. “They change. They’re metamorphosis.”

Hikes with her husband through the wilds of Pennsylvania and Colorado inspired her birch tree paintings.

“I love the visual texture of birch trees,” she said. “It resonated with what I was trying to do.”

While this is Simmons’ first Community Gallery Initiative showing, the Art Association of Harrisburg has included her paintings in group exhibits. She also had a solo show at the Wheel of Light studio in Halifax. Simmons sells her work at www.nicolesimmonsart.com

“I prefer putting out things that inspire happiness and joy in people,” she said. “Naturally, there’s a place in art for the more pensive pieces, and I appreciate them, but my creative process is so joyful and brings me a lot of satisfaction that I want to pass it on.”

Showing at Homeland feels like the perfect fit.

“I love bringing my work to this space,” she said. “Residents might see them and remember their own experiences, when they took a hike or were catching butterflies.”

As to where her art goes next, Simmons is “kind of at a crossroads.” She’s thinking of returning to portraitures but still loves playing with texture, so she’s trying to figure out how all the pieces fit.

“Lately, I’ve been inspired by light and shadow and how to render warm and cool light,” she said. “Color temperature and color theory is what I’ll dive into next.”

Learning always drives the look and feel of her work.

“Art is constantly a learning experience, and I think that’s part of why I love art so much,” Simmons said. “There’s always something to learn. People say I should be a professional artist, but I love being a learner and student. It’s so freeing to experiment and try things. You’re not beholden to the same style.”