Fall 2024

58 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 4 M ost compelling art contains a much deeper message than ini- tially meets the eye. In the case of Nicole Cromwell’s evocative paintings, that’s literally true. As a critical care nurse, she would understandably occasionally have emotionally taxing workdays. “I would come home and write my thoughts on a canvas,” she says.“It was a healing process for me.”Then she would create a painting on the canvas.And then create another painting on top of that one. “Sometimes it’s like there are a hundred finished paintings under each one.” She utilizes acrylics, oils, molding paste and collage techniques in creating these abstracts and floral works.They’re visually strong, but also subliminally draw in the viewer with whispers of the hidden, unseen treasures beneath. After 25 years of nursing, she’s embarked on her second career as full- time artist. She finds that the two callings are indeed related in that, as a nurse, she was intimately involved in healing wounded bodies and spirits, and with her captivating paintings, she’s offering calm, compassionate and restorative vibes. “For me, it’s all about putting healing into my work. It’s 100 percent cathartic,” she says. Nicole Cromwell Gallery is located in the Su Vecino Court on Dolores between 5th and 6th. For more information visit www.nicolecromwellart.com . — Michael Chatfield ART I ST PROF I L E Nicole Cromwell Photo: Kelli Uldall