It is true when they say a picture tells a thousand words, yet a Jersey City-based artist named Nick D’Ornellas paints a picture that tells a story of his own. Born in Georgetown, but raised in Jersey City, Nick grew up with opportunities and skills Jersey City has to see! Now going onto college, Nick has learned the true meaning of becoming a great artist. In his pieces, you will see the dedication, detail, and thought he puts into his work! It’s really amazing to hear the passion he has for his career and family. This is a glimpse of Nick’s life in color that you wouldn’t want to miss!

What’s your name? Nick

How old are you?

I am 18 years old. I’ll be 19 in less than a month!

Were you born in JC? 

I was not born in Jersey City. I was born in Georgetown, Guyana and ended up here because my family wanted a taste of America. I guess we could say my parents chose to come to Jersey City because there were a lot more minorities and opportunities for Guyanese people or just people of color.

I know you’ve been in the Snyder HS JC Arts program since freshman year, can you tell us a little bit about your experience in the program?

The Jersey City Arts High School Program has been a big part of my high school career and the young adult I am slowly growing into. From freshman year, I was immersed in an environment where I was taught stamina and the necessities that every fine artist needs. As high school progressed, I started to realize that the faculty and students were more of a family rather than just an ordinary art program and I think that’s a big part towards its reputation and success. Traits like self-acceptance, openness towards new things and even respect were fueled in the daily art critiques that helped push my classmates and I. This program has been the backbone towards the personal voice that I never knew I was capable of having. It has helped me stand true to my beliefs and always question things through history and the narratives of the art I create. I see the world so differently in terms of design and every step into a VPA classroom is an eye opener that will benefit me in the long run.

Were there any struggles or obstacles you have faced reaching your art career?

I think one of the biggest struggles I faced in my art career was being young and poised. You’re always so absorbent to what outsiders say about the things you are pursuing and I had a lot of negative energy towards wanting to be in the art field. With the help of my freshman year art teacher, Ms. Ward, I was taught an important, very cliche lesson that stuck with me, take from what benefits you and throw the rest out. I started to later learn how to cope with uncertainty and fill voids through the narratives of the artworks I created. It was hard to get to this point and I have a lot of explorations to venture into. I am thankful for my mother for always being there 100% of the way and putting me up with the weird phases I sometimes go through. I feel like I am finally in a good headspace with taking in the things that make me happy and letting of anything harmful. These are the basic fundamentals of my philosophy- which reflects me doing the same on the opposite end of the spectrum. I am constantly producing which helps me get better at not harming people or the world in any way possible. I just want to make a positive impact in the things I touch.

What’s your creative process?

My creative process is really  time-consuming. It starts off with an encounter, that could be anything- the way an artist puts life into his melancholy lyrics to the way words are chopped and formulated to have a quick meaning on billboard signs. I get inspired easily and that sparse encounter most times could relate to my personal narratives about religion, self-worth, status, sexuality, etc. That encounter then references a motif that I create which may sometimes take months and sketchbook pages due to constant research and information gathering and journaling. The motif is then turned into a visual which is carved from a linoleum resist block that then prints in the actual artwork. The people I palace in the foreground of my works are used as a metaphor towards myself and express positions that may sometimes have double meanings, almost surreal or dream-like. I love experimenting with mixed mediums and finding/ questioning my masculinity through fabrics (tapestry, rug making and textiles). I can’t just stick to one form of art making, I much rather incorporate multiple mediums such as acrylics, ink, marker, colored pencils and found objects into the compositions of my pieces. This is the closest form of stability that I have in my life and it is because I am in charge of every mark made on the artwork.

 

 I’ve seen your family a lot in your pieces, tell me about them, how do you they play such a big role in your art? 

My family and I have a very strong and close bond. With the lack of a male/ father figure in my childhood, my mother and sister were always present at recitals, award ceremonies, and art shows. Over the years, I have grown to appreciate women and all of the undocumented sacrifices they make that may sometimes be taken for granted and overlooked. A lot of my childhood insecurities came from being a minority and having a mother serve the role of a father. Now reflecting on this experience, I think I am way stronger and independent as a young adult. Seeing all of the hardships my mother had to face in sometimes getting food on the table has made me want to somehow relate that back to the artwork I made. It’s not much about the obstacles you face, it’s about how you react to them that defines you as a person. I was brought up more “softly” being around women all my life. My mother sometimes refers me to the term, “gentle boy.” All of my pieces mostly revolve around the whole idea of masculinity and finding that through them being the subject matter or inspiration. My Guyanese culture is also female oriented when it comes to artistry in the household. Women would do the sewing, rug making, and decorating usually. A lot of my palette draws back to embracing my Guyanese culture and referencing the country’s tropical oranges and warm tones. Constantly seeing all of the textiles in my house growing up also made it natural to be making art that is textile and fiber-based.   

So tell us about one of your favorite pieces.

It would either be my sketchbook which is a collection of pieces that are more intimate or my rug series because it was the first time I found an outlet that wasn’t 2D. They’re very reminiscent of my tradition and it’s good to always thread back to your roots.

Can you tell me what you learned along the way of becoming an artist?

Along the way of becoming an artist, I guess I learned the virtue of storytelling and journaling. Similar to a writer, these are my poems. I was able to use art as my therapy in recording the experiences I have lived. I see my pieces so different because they are so personal to me. All of my secrets and narratives are sewn into every one of them. I also learned patience in the intricate details of my works. With patience and recording my narratives, I was able to start to become more mentally stable- which makes the wold of difference in my outlook on a lot of my insecurities (body image, sexuality, etc.).

Any advice for young artists?

My advice to young artists would be that you are young and you should enjoy your youth! While experimenting and going through weird stages, you should hold on tot the things you love doing. Keep cooking/ baking, keep writing, keep drawing, keep singing! Do what you love and don’t bother with any of the negative feedback you may receive. It’s hard when you are young to not get easily influenced, but if you are aware of the things that make you happy, then you would become way more invested in it. This could lead to evolving with those talents and reaching peaks you would have never expected.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

I just finished applying to college which took a lot of energy out of me. I am getting back in the swing of things with my fiber-based series. I have been working on a soft sculpture that is all hand crocheted from found materials. I am planning to go back to my “traditional” 2D works in the next two weeks to hang at my very first artist solo exhibition!

With the expansion of art in Jersey City, do you think we’ll see your pieces on a mural or in a gallery?

Being a mixed media artist, I wouldn’t be surprised if I were to collab with another artist on a mural. You would definitely be seeing my work in the Loews Theater at the end of the year show for the Jersey City Arts HS Program. I would also be hanging in a studio space possibly at the MANA Contemporary if they have space to accommodate me for my senior thesis show. Being in an art gallery would be the next step for me being a young artist in JC- especially since I recently have been building my body of work and my portfolio.

Hard question, what’s your favorite place to hang in JC?

That is a very hard question that I have been contemplating for days! I would say Newport Mall because I am always sketching at the food court before my waiter shifts in Hoboken. I enjoy seeing the traffic of people and how great the lighting is on the third flow. After a long day, it’s nice to plug into some Vance Joy and sketch the girl giving out samples at the Hawaiian Grill. 

Instagram: @nickles__

Art Instagram: @nicklesart_

Photo Credits: Michelle Nunez