Nicolette Shea(Pieka)                   

   Growing up, Nicolette Shea witnessed many different forms of art. Being very close to her grandfather, Nicolette saw first hand what detail went into his jewelry making and architect works. Developing sculptures was her grandfather’s forte and Nicolette picked up on sculpting very quickly. In seventh grade, she signed “Nicolette Shea” to her very first painting on actual canvas. The canvas was tie died green with a brown washed John Lennon painted over it. The painting was given to her aunt for her birthday. Little did Nicolette know that this was only the beginning of a very art driven future. She went onto Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center during her last two years of high school. Fort Hayes was a former military installation during the Civil War turned alternative high school for students with an interest in arts. Nicolette compares it to the hit television show Fame and says that life there was very similar. In order to graduate, Nicolette had to receive an associate’s degree and a portfolio of all her work. 

   She completed all assignments and graduated high school to go on to college in Rhode Island. First was the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence where Nicolette decided to obtain her degrees. Two years later, Nicolette transferred to Brown University also in Providence to complete her minor in fine arts and major in linguistics. Little to her dismay, she would not touch another piece of canvas or see another stroke of a brush for the seven years  the followed.                                                                                           

  Nicolette detoured to see corporate America in its entirety. She was living the life of a very normal American female in her mid 20’s: a boyfriend, her own place, and a high level management position with The Gap, Seattle had become her new place of living and she had already established strong roots there. In January of 2004, an expecting mother to be, Nicolette suffered a miscarriage. Saddened and deeply depressed over the loss of her child, she closed herself away from the outside world. Even the father of her child and then boyfriend felt the wrath of Nicolette. Concerned for her, the ex somehow broke into her apartment and approached her with a gift. The gift included three canvases, six bottles of acrylic paints, and a variety of different brushes. It had been seven long years since Nicolette had even laid her eyes on these items. It was that very moment that she realized what an inspiration and influence that art had on her life and still did after its absence. She picked up the brushes, poured out the paints, and her hands and mind worked together to form some beautiful pieces. Long before she knew it, everything in her apartment was painted. Nicolette let child she lost live on peacefully and graciously through her artwork and knew at that point, art would be her life. To this day Nicolette continues to call Seattle home. Most importantly she also continues living through her artwork and allowing her paintings to be her therapeutic means of releasing her emotions.

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