Tessa Nickel

I am an independant artist from Vancouver, Canada. I love all different mediums and I am working towards expanding my portfolio and getting my name out into the art community. I'll be posting my art, photography, and ceramics as well as events going on in my life.

“Dance Hall in our city” Acrylic on canvas


These two paintings are based on a painting by Van Gogh called Dance Hall in Arles. My goal was to take the crowded and uncomfortable feel that Van Gogh depicted and bring it into our modern day life with the club scene in the first piece and the busy city street in downtown Vancouver. I painted out of my comfort zone by answering to his mosaic like style of painting in that piece which I found difficult when I constantly wanted to blend… But I think I managed it!

“Nebula Abstract Diptych” Acrylic on canvas, July 2011

I have an obsession with triangles and I wanted to make a few pieces where I got to use it for the better. I looked into nebula’s because I love the beautiful colours they are and they amaze me through their colour and beauty. 

“Oh how the mighty will fall” Acrylic on canvas, July 2011 I wanted to try my hand at some abstract in a simple fashion and this was just a really fun thing to paint. It was a great way to just use the motion of paint rather then forcing it to do anything. 

“Oh how the mighty will fall” Acrylic on canvas, July 2011

I wanted to try my hand at some abstract in a simple fashion and this was just a really fun thing to paint. It was a great way to just use the motion of paint rather then forcing it to do anything. 

“Sun Burst” Mosaic Table top 2011, Ceramic Tile with wood frame This is also a wall piece, but I wanted to have a small table to use eventually. This is my first larger scale mosaic that I have done and I loved the process. I created this simple pattern based on a sunset.

“Sun Burst” Mosaic Table top 2011, Ceramic Tile with wood frame

This is also a wall piece, but I wanted to have a small table to use eventually. This is my first larger scale mosaic that I have done and I loved the process. I created this simple pattern based on a sunset.

“Leaves in the Wind” Sculpture -2011, welded iron rod

This was a project where our professor asked us to create a sculpture depicting movement. I chose the way that fallen leaves on the ground move on a windy day in the fall. This was my first hand at welding, but I think I started to get the hand of it! When I was finished making it, I sprayed it over night with a salt solution to rust it in certain parts to bring in fall colours. I didn’t want to concentrate on the shape of the leaves but instead the movement. 

“Winter At White Rock Beach” - Acrylic A painting I worked on for four months. I sold it to one of my beautiful family members. I love how it turned out… Probably my favourite painting to date!

“Winter At White Rock Beach” - Acrylic

A painting I worked on for four months. I sold it to one of my beautiful family members. I love how it turned out… Probably my favourite painting to date!

‘Harrison in the Early Summer’ Photograph, 2010Harrison Lake, British Columbia  I took this in May of 2010 at the beginning of the camping season when it was still freezing! I was a beautiful early sunset though and I couldn’t help but snap a photo.

‘Harrison in the Early Summer’ Photograph, 2010
Harrison Lake, British Columbia 

I took this in May of 2010 at the beginning of the camping season when it was still freezing! I was a beautiful early sunset though and I couldn’t help but snap a photo.

Daryl Doing Poi, 2011

I have been watching my very skilled artist friend Daryl doing poi down at the beach from time to time and this is from a time where I brought my camera along. Some turned out better then others, but I had fun making some abstract photos when I wasn’t necessarily skilled enough to take ‘proper’ photos of him.

‘Townsville Sunset’ 2011, Photograph This is a photo I took while at a viewpoint in Townsville, Australia. I love the colour that the sunset gave the photo and the abstract way that I took the photo. 

‘Townsville Sunset’ 2011, Photograph

This is a photo I took while at a viewpoint in Townsville, Australia. I love the colour that the sunset gave the photo and the abstract way that I took the photo. 

These are two skimboards I painted for my friends who own a skimboard company called Hanzane Skimboard Company. It was really fun painting on plywood for the first time! They later sealed the board with a clear coat and they are now skimming abroad the ocean tops!