Liz Nicklus

Bio

Liz Nicklus is an award winning painter, mixed media and mosaic artist living in Vineland, NJ. First and foremost a colorist, her mixed media paintings and mosaic installations consist of patterns unified by complex color relationships. Her work contains images, textures and elements from numerous sources. She has completed numerous public art projects using alternative materials, in particular the 65 foot mixed media mosaic mural “Oceans of Reflection” at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City. In 2022, she won an Honorable Mention award in Artist Magazine’s Best of the Best competition in the abstract/experimental category.

Nicklus studied at Stockton State College, Fleisher Art Memorial, with Pat Witt at The Barn Studio of Art in Millville, and with Philadelphia mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar. She was Discover New Jersey Arts featured artist in April 2004. She is past chair and one of the founding members of the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville, and served on the Board of Directors of the DaVinci Art Alliance in Philadelphia.  She has taught painting, mixed media and mosaics throughout Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, and has been a guest instructor at the Studios of Key West in Florida. Her work can be seen in public and private collections throughout the world.

Artist Statement

John Lennon said “Life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans”. My art is created the same way – a series of plans, mishaps, fate and serendipity. I came from a background of realism; my early idols were the Renaissance masters, and still life was my first love as a painter. But I was always drawn to the mystery of abstraction. As my work progressed it became more and more abstract – first I would embed realism into my mixed media work, but gradually those elements disappeared and only color and movement remained.  Much of this was due to my experience with mosaics, where I learned to fracture to create unity. My passion is in constantly searching for new media and experimenting with new ways to use them.  I’m always happily surprised at the amount of people who identify with my work, since I don’t dictate their experience. Viewers create their own, and often see their own experiences in these paintings.

Liz Nicklus CV