We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicholas Stewart a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nicholas, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
What did my parents do right? Both of them were very hard workers. I believe this was my first real lesson from them. You give it your all, and you’ll never be disappointed. My mother and father grinded away at factory jobs and side gigs, but always made sure i was provided with everything I needed. When it came to the moment I decided to attend the “dreaded” Art School, they were both 100% supportive. The thought of me going into a direction I was passionate about was all the the reason they needed to encourage my pursuits. This was everything to me, and set a bar for achievement. If I think back further, I believe the decision to pursue art can all be credited to my mother. When I was younger, she always made sure I was stocked up on art supplies such as paints, paper, pastels, crayons, clay, the whole works. Art time was always on the schedule. When my mother and I would take vacations, she always prepared me an art box for the drive. Typically, this was always one of the highlight of the trip. The boxes were always different, but they always contained some form of paper, books, assorted drawing materials, stickers, etc. The seeds of “creating” and always working were planted at an early age, and man I’m glad they were.
Nicholas, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Nicholas is a contemporary artist based in Charlotte, NC. He works in mixed media, using oil paint, watercolor, house paint, charcoal, paper, and found objects in his paintings. His subjects are primarily figurative and floral with an emphasis on vibrant color and heavy paint marks. His work can be found in private collections across the United States.
Nicholas spent part of his childhood on a cattle farm in rural West Virginia. With no other children for miles around he started drawing as a form of entertainment. He would sit by himself for hours and draw. His mother encouraged him and one of his fondest memories is of the art kits she would make for him when they took road trips. He drew dinosaurs and comics and saw himself as a future illustrator.
His passion for drawing stayed with him through high school and upon graduation he started at Radford University as a drawing major. While in the art program he studied under two of his mentors, Halide Salam and Z.L. Feng, and through them found a love for painting. He spent seven years in the art program at Radford during which he became an Instructor of Record and obtained a Masters Degree in Painting.
Upon graduation, Nicholas took a leap of faith and moved to Charlotte where he found another mentor, Andy Braitman. Nicholas flourished as his passion for creating met with his passion for sharing his knowledge with others. He began teaching classes and workshops and was invited to be a guest lecturer at many institutions.
He is now a freelance artist, working in many mediums and teaches classes at Holt School of Fine Art and Braitman Studio. When he is not practicing his craft or sharing his knowledge with his students he enjoys spending time with his wife and son, Kate and Charlie. His work is often influenced by Charlie, and nods to his childhood milestones can be seen in Nicholas’ art. His most recent body of work or “Paint Bouquets” are in high demand, as collectors claim them almost as fast as he paints them. With the success of his recent work he hopes to develop more relationships with galleries so he can continue to share his work with others.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I accidentally fell into this at what I feel was an appropriate age for me, but I wish someone had encouraged me to pick up a mentorship or an apprenticeship under a successful working artist. If you get a good artist, you’re gonna do some grunt work, but that grunt work pays off in the long run. A good artist is also going to pay you, not just give you experience. You learn how to run a working studio. you learn how to manage your supplies. You learn how to deal with real life patrons. You learned the insides of dealing with galleries. You most importantly learn to rethink your art-process and learning from college. You will make connections by making deliveries, dealing with collectors, and gallery owners. You’re also setting up a relationship that could pay off big-time as far as recommendations for a variety of endeavors. You may even come to see that artist not only as a mentor, but a great friend.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I believe there is no one window to view art. With that being said, I am personally not a fan of NFTs. They are lacking the “it” a physical piece has. Dare I say “soul.” Again, this is my personal opinion, but you just cant beat a physical sculpture, drawing on paper, or a painting. I want to be able to touch it, I want to be able to examine it from all sides. It reminds me of Picasso’s predicament/realization that artists needed to elevate paintings beyond what photography could achieve. NFTs could be the next great motivator. 
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.nicholasmstewart.com
- Instagram: Nicholasmstewartfineart