Nicole Jarecz been interested in drawing for as long as she can remember. She was the child who was meticulous in every creative task she was given. Nicole would spend hours on art projects and spend my weekends reading books and getting lost in my imagination.

Fashion has always held a special place in my heart. Jarecz remembers going to the bookstore every weekend with her parents when she was young. That's where she really discovered fashion magazines, Vogue, runway, art and design. When Nicole was an art student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit she had to take a history of illustration class. That is where she was introduced to fashion illustration. She knew right then and there that this would be my focus. Fashion illustration is a dream in an industry that is often dominated by photography. She chose to dream.

Most of her days are spent as a busy stay at home mom of two little girls. Nicole typically works in the mornings or evenings. She finds that the most peaceful time to create is early in the morning with a cup of coffee of course.

Nicole tend to be a more traditional artist who likes to experiment with mixing different mediums. Her favourite mediums to use are ink, watercolour and gouache. Nicole also like to manipulate my images in photoshop to create new proportions and colours. From there she sometimes print her illustrations and paint on top of them again. Sometimes she ends up with a completely different illustration than she had in mind. Nicole likes the surprise!

Her biggest inspiration will always be when she lived in Paris. Nicole spent six wonderful years there. There was inspiration around every corner from the fashion, food, architecture and culture.
Another inspiration of Nicole's book collection. Over the years she has collected precious books with work from René Gruau, Kenneth Paul Block and Joe Eula - true artists and the best in fashion illustration.
"Never be afraid to start something new. Be prepared to learn and continue to learn. In this
industry I am constantly learning and challenging myself. That is the only way to grow as an artist," say Jarecz.
Nicole has been trying to draw a mixture of things today. Some days she focuses on more detailed figures and portraits. Other days she just wants to practice more gestural sketches. She thinks it's important to switch between both to find a nice balance in her work. Many of her drawings have been inspired by Valentino and Giambattista Valli. Both of these designers make her dream which makes pencil to paper happen very easily. 

Nicole Jarecz portfolio