Some time ago, I emailed about an artist named Henry Hensche for his stunning use of color. In response, one of my readers suggested I check out the work of an Australian artist, Hilda Rix Nicholas. I wasn’t familiar with the name, but turns out I was captivated by one of her paintings when I visited the New South Wales Art Gallery back in 2019. See my photo below.
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Grand Mere, c.1914
She studied under Frederick McCubbin. I’m not sure what he was like as a teacher, but he was a masterful artist. Interestingly, Nicholas’ style is quite different from McCubbin’s. Often you see hints of the teacher’s style in that of the student.
I curated the following gallery of her work plus a few photos of her so you can put a face to the name. I’m particularly fond of her high-key landscapes, use of bright greens, and painterly brushwork.
Hilda Rix Nicholas painting In Australia, c.1922-23
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Spring Afternoon, Knockalong, 1933
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Sheep Market, Tangier, 1914
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Dressed as “The Spirit of the Bush”, c.1920
Hilda Rix Nicholas, La Récureuse, c.1914
Hilda Rix Nicholas, La Bigouden, 1925
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Cottage Garden
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Coochin Coochin, Near Boonah, Queensland, c.1926
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Chinese Vase, 1937
Hilda Rix Nicholas, The Fair Musterer, 1935
Hilda Rix Nicholas, The Shepherd of Knockalong, 1933
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Purple and Blue, Portrait of Elsie Rix, c.1911-13
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Apples, c.1940
Hilda Rix Nicholas, In my Studio, c.1920
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Chinese Vase, 1937
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Autumn in My Garden
Hilda Rix Nicholas, The Great Snowy River
Hilda Rix Nicholas, Les Fleurs Dédaignées, 1925
Hope you enjoy her work as much as I do. I’ll continue to share master artists as they become known to me.
If you ever want to learn more, you might be interested in my Composition Breakdown course.
Happy painting!
Dan Scott
Dan Scott is the founder of Draw Paint Academy. He's a self-taught artist from Australia with a particular interest in landscape painting. Draw Paint Academy is run by Dan and his wife, Chontele, with the aim of helping you get the most out of the art life. You can read more on the About page.
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