Nikki Huesman's art practice is defined by her distinct artistic style and adeptness across mediums. Her portraiture is marked by subtle line work and shading on figures that are offset by backgrounds that pulsate with energetic color patterns.
"I like doing people because I find them very interesting. I always wondered how they would look on canvas and how would they look in my eyes from a standpoint."
Heusman draws inspiration from a variety of sources: classic paintings, contemporary works of art and pop culture. Regardless of origin, the resulting works maintain subjects rendered with a whimsical hand. Each piece is crafted through a methodical process, involving careful composition, sketching and transferring.
"I can come here and let my hair down and just go to town on art. I want to get my art out there into the world. I want people to see me as a person instead as a person with a disability. I want them to see a person who has vision problems can accomplish anything in the world. That's how I look at it."
Heusman's artwork has been featured on Arts of Life merchandise including: greeting cards, poetry books and a calendar. She is also a singer for the studio band, Van Go Go and was the North Shore studio's artist of the month in November 2018.