Pearl Fincher Museum Artist of the Month: Nicole Durham
Beginning this month, the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts will feature a local Artist of the Month in an effort to connect Houston-area artists with each other and the community. To learn more, visit pearlmfa.org.
For Nicole Durham, art is therapy. So when she was dealing with endometriosis more than a decade ago, she pulled out her art supplies.
Art had been on the back burner as she focused on raising her family. When she re-engaged, she wanted to create something with a very defined, linear effect. But none of the materials available at the time were working.
In the midst of that process she was fixing a bathroom, sealing around the tub with caulk.
“It just clicked,” she says.
Now known as The Caulk Artist, Nicole continues to create her art from this material which is more typical of a trip to the hardware store than an artist supply list. She still uses a traditional caulk gun—the first one her dad gave her—although she has added other tools along the way.
Lifelong Love
Nicole says her love of art began as a child.
“I can remember when we were little, we didn’t have a whole lot of money to splurge on art supplies so we just made stuff,” she says.
Nicole and her siblings would take chalk and draw roads on the sidewalk, then stack scraps of wood from her dad’s projects to make buildings. She also recalls making houses out of empty cereal boxes, cutting out windows and doors, and painting the houses to look just the way she wanted.
In high school, Nicole’s art teacher was a great encouragement, helping her realize she could create simply because she loved doing so. Her teacher was also a big proponent of using art to do unexpected things.
"It Could All Be So Simple" by Nicole Durham.Words of Wisdom
Today, Nicole has her own wisdom to share with other artists of any age.
“Create for you,” she says. “Go with your gut; do what feels right and natural to you.”
She acknowledges that in today’s world, a lot of people look at social media and feel intimidated. But Nicole flips that on its head.
“Look at it as inspiration,” she says. “If there’s a style that you absolutely love, study it and make it your own.”
On Display at the Pearl
Nicole was selected as the very first Artist of the Month for the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts. Her piece, “It Could All Be So Simple,” is on display at the museum through February 29, 2024.
Located at 6815 Cypresswood Drive in Spring, TX, the Pearl is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. To learn more, visit pearlmfa.org.
