Nicolette Leigh Arts

Contemporary Surrealist Art by Asheville Artist, Nicolette Leigh Yates

Creating mixed-media paintings rooted in pareidolia, I explore memory, perception, and our connection to nature through an entirely intuitive process. Working without references, I layer watery acrylic paint on canvas or paper to discover faces, figures, and scenes emerging from the colors and textures, much like finding images in clouds. Since 2017, recurring characters and imagery have begun to hint at a larger narrative world, with animals and humans appearing in whimsical predicaments or moments of deep connection. My work is colorful and dreamlike born from the same childhood wonder that had me tracing the edges of flowers and grasses with my eyes in rural Stokesdale. I create at my public-facing studio at RAD Rendezvous, located at 87 Roberts St in the River Arts District, where I connect with the vibrant Asheville arts community that drew me here over 20 years ago.