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A local artist has depicted iconic trees from the island's 12 parishes in striking watercolour for her latest exhibition.
Nicola Lucas’s ‘She walks in beauty’ is on display at Private and Public until Friday.
The show, whose title is a nod to Lord Byron’s lyrical poem, is Nicola’s second at the Somerville House-based gallery.
Video: A virtual tour of Nicola's latest exhibition.
Last year’s exhibition featured tree silhouettes, which Nicky has been painting since 2012, as well as a series of seascapes, inspired by Nicola’s daily swimming sessions.
One of the show’s paintings was so popular that Gallery Director Chris Clifford had to deflect several buying offers and suggested Nicola created a whole series of tree paintings.
Nicola ended up creating 12 paintings, each depicting some of the most iconic trees in each of Jersey’s 12 parishes. They include trees from Bouley Bay in Trinity, from Belcroute in St. Brelade and from Sion in St. John.
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Pictured: Nicola painted West Park trees in two different moods.
West Park trees feature twice in the show.
“Same trees different mood," Nicola explained, noting that she had taken time to discover the “familiar, incredibly beautiful, but often unappreciated wooded area overlooking the bay of St Aubin” earlier this year.
“It’s so worth parking up opposite along Victoria Avenue, crossing the road to wander amongst the towering pines; especially because the furore surrounding the new hospital plans elicited concern about their future,” she added.
Painted in shades of blues and greens with some touches of ocre with Nicola’s trademark delicate brushstroke, the trees’ silhouettes look dainty and elegant. Wrapped in clouds of mist, some take on a dream-like quality.
Pictured: Nicola has also created large, semi-abstract acrylic paintings inspired by her daily swimming sessions.
The show also features a series of paintings inspired by Nicola’s second passion, sea swimming, an activity she undertakes on a daily basis, weather permitting.
In addition to underwater studies, Nicola is presenting new, large, semi-abstract acrylic paintings featuring bold brushstrokes reminiscent of her previous works on tree silhouettes.
Commenting on the show, Mr Clifford said: “Nicola Lucas has once again produced one of the most aesthetically calming, meditative and seductive painting exhibitions ever shown at the gallery which, in the same way Lord Byron did in 1815, express the sheer awe and beauty that she finds in the extraordinary landscape that she has chosen to call her home.”
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