Nick Mackman

During Nick’s formative years she developed a love for animals, especially dogs and initially began expressing this love on canvas. However, she was later to discover the wonder of clay.

In 1992 she began an HND course specialising in animal modelling, (later completing her BA Hons in Ceramics), during which time she worked as a rhino keeper in Chester Zoo. This inspired experience allowed her to get involved with a wide variety of animals and watch, touch and study the nature of animals intimately.

Nick now concentrates her art on both domestic and wild animals. She spends much time capturing their mannerisms and character through sketches and photography with reference to and research from books, magazines and wildlife documentaries.

Some of her animals are relatively unknown and endangered. It is with these species that she attempts to bridge the gap in current public perception and aims to enlighten people to the beauty, humour and tenderness of those animals that are largely seen or represented as purely aggressive, dangerous or ugly.

The passion which powers Nick’s work has evolved from her awareness, awe and wonder of the strangeness of the animal kingdom and its complex survival instincts.

The clay body is T material, the strongest clay type, with paper pulp which gives a strong but lightweight result. She occasionally uses papier mache on delicate extremities as it lends itself well to clay and has the great advantage of being unbreakable.