Hullee!
I’m Nicole, a bubbly, Melbourne Illustrator + Writer who loves drinking lattes, drawing characters and writing kidlit!
My life began as a kind of adventure. Born in Singapore to Australian parents, I had quite an exciting nomadic childhood as a Hotel Manager’s daughter. My earliest memory was of living in a hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the remote tropics. Where, I:
A) Swam like a Mermaid.
B) Ran after crabs and cockroaches and…
C) Collected mysterious sounding shells at the beach.
True story! And so...
The first illustrated book I was given as a gift, via a colleague of my father’s – was ‘Eloise’, by Kay Thompson. Where suddenly… I had a new friend! Each night I delighted in sitting with my mother, while we read Eloise’s naughty hotel adventures! Whilst she lived in New York, I lived in the tropics of a remote Spanish Island. While she got lost in an elevator…I got lost for three hours enthralled by the oceans waves! Whilst I was shy, and Eloise wasn’t, there was still one thing that held us both together… the magic of escapism that delighted us both! So I adopted her sense of curiosity and adventure! And… have never stopped since!
By the time time I was 6, and moved to the Winter Wonderland of Montreal, Canada… my imagination went into overdrive! Obsessed by the tiniest of snowflakes and the icicles lingering by my windowsill, I dreamt of wintery princesses and what lay beyond the pine trees of my home. As I watched the four seasons change around me, I was enthralled by the magic and colour, of I Dream of Jeannie. Of Bewitched. Of…GREASE and the Pink Ladies! So, I started drawing. And my obsession with characters…with Witches, Genies and schoolyard ‘cool’ girls, got more and more interesting…
So…
When I earned a BFA in Theatre, Writing and Performance at The Boston Conservatory, it furthered my study of playing characters. Directing other actors. Writing creatively. I toured professionally in musicals and did a heap of Children’s Theatre. I even worked for The Walt Disney company! So once I had my kiddies in 2001…. I was inspired to return to my first love, Art + Character illustration.
Since 2000, career highlights have included creating a baby gift packaging brand called The Bub Club, working as a Digital Copywriter and branching out into businesses and Events,
And now, I’ve put it all together, in one click of a button – to help YOU and your business too. Take a look around my Digital Studio, and let me know if I can help you with your Children’s Book, Copywriting or Business branding solutions! But in the meantime..stay happy and hopeful in these crazy times..
And…keep dreaming!
Much love,
Nicole xxx
