"I fell asleep and dreamt of a car. At first, it wasn't clear, but then things started to take shape. The wheels were big, like those on a pram. There was a handle like you'd find on a child's cart. And the body needed attention. In fact, it was a bit of a lemon. All I had to do when I woke up, was paint it." Simple.

But Etienne has always followed her intuition. As the fourth generation in her family to become an artist, Etienne's first intuition was to cover her mother's kitchen with drawings. Painting her bedroom walls with frescoes was the next natural step. Doing the same for friends' houses followed. They became her first clients.

But the appeal of canvas was stronger. Stronger even than her love of sport — she gave up an athletic scholarship to follow her true course. She studied at the Universities of California, Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, discovering an affinity with cubism. You can see this understanding in much of Etienne's work. Objects appear how she sees them. Not how perspective tells us they should.

Europe called. Specifically the Lorenzo de Medici School of Art in Florence. It's said the Italians taught the French how to paint and how to cook. Lessons that did not escape Etienne. There, surrounded by thousands of years of architecture and fine art, she developed her style and understanding of what she could achieve. And also her appreciation of the good things.

"I wanted to experience everything. It's no good just studying art — you have to study life".

Returning to San Francisco she drew deeply on its many inspirations. Themed series followed: jazz clubs, wine bars, floral scenes — work flowed onto the canvas. And into the homes of some of California's best known art collectors. By this time Etienne had more than established a reputation. Her paintings were sought for the life she captures in them. To watch her paint is to understand why.

It's this energy that drove her on. Many artists find home enough. But Etienne wanted more. A solitary spell at Cill Rialaig in Ireland was perhaps more than she bargained for. Beautiful and ancient it was. Easy it was not. She lived and worked in a remote thatched cottage with no heating or electricity, and painted what she saw and experienced. [see photos]

It's hard to get her to discuss her time there; perhaps a look at Etienne's work tells a better story. The series of stark, empty chairs is more about the people who once sat in them. She may have been alone in that house, but the presence of the people who lived there over the centuries continued to be felt. And it was rarely a pleasant feeling.

But, as is often the case with good work, a little adversity is a powerful catalyst. The series featured in the Origin Gallery in Dublin to great acclaim.


She returned to San Francisco and after enjoying a few basic comforts, began work on a new series. This was influenced by her study of Asian art and furniture, and the block prints and calligraphy of Japan. It was an interest that would lead her to Japan itself. There, with her mother and artist Suzanne Etienne, she exhibited at Rikuzen-Takada, through Galerie Enatsu of Tokyo.

During the three days of the show, Etienne was showered with gifts including a hand painted silk kimono. Posters lined the route to the exhibition, local dignitaries all wanted to meet her. "I was amazed and touched by the attention artists get out there.

But they kept asking why I'm so tall, and why I'm not married. So maybe it was just like back home after all."

Back in San Francisco, Etienne hit upon a coincidence and a new theme. "I bought an old desk and inside was a 50's postcard sent to the previous owner. The picture on the card was a koi fish. It was beautiful, so colourful yet so still and mysterious under the water. And I had just got back from Japan!"

The series of koi is unique. It's neither abstract nor realist. Inspired by Japanese art, it takes a very contemporary spin. Etienne developed a technique of painting layers of charcoal and oil paint on natural linen.

"I like to show the bones of the painting, allowing some of the linen to show its color and texture. I also use translucent glazes over the initial drawings."

Then it was back to Europe. Spells painting on location in Greece and Italy were followed by a trip to England. There she worked in London near the banks of the River Thames, exhibiting in a gallery in Fulham. It was a complete sell out — the Brits loved her and invited Etienne to hold exhibitions in 2002.

From Chelsea to Chelsea
In 2003 Nicole lived abroad working in London in the borough of Chelsea. Today she resides in Manhattan, New York's Chelsea borough.

Recent shows have included work from her latest series, jazz dancers: sassy women, pin-striped men, blue notes — you can almost smell the Havana cigar smoke. But that's the mark of a seasoned artist.

Exhibitions around the world. Years on location. And a drive that grows with every stroke of the brush. And next? Who can tell? But she instinctively knows where she's going.

Visit the website of artist Suzanne Etienne  | Web design by Cheryl Sharpley