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Sunset at Fisher Valley Ranch. This is the part of the ranch where Nichole and her husband live. She took this picture from their heifer pasture. It sums up why they love to live there so much!


Nichole and her horse Buck. They had just finished trailing calves down the creek so they could ship them to Kansas. It was kind of cold out, so they wore coveralls for warmth. Buck features in many of Nichole's drawings.


Nichole took this picture on the mountain after they finished trailing some heifers to a new pasture. Her father-in-law, Dee, is on the left. Ryan, her husband, is in the middle. Mike, her brother-in-law, is on the right. Mike and Ryan are 7th generation ranchers. Their family was ranching in Utah before Utah was even a state.


Trailing heifers across Taylor Flat on the mountain property.


Dee, Nichole's father-in-law, leading the heifers off.


Max was a dogie calf whose mother died right after he was born. One of Nichole's favorite jobs on the ranch is taking care of the dogies. Max was a particularly special dogie.


This is another of Nichole's dogies. Yes. He was in the house. Nichole named him Mouse because he was so small and he had a mouse-like face.


Nichole with her border collie, Jake. Jake was only a couple of months old. They were on the mountain building fence, and they took Jake along.

Nichole Taylor was born and raised in Enoch, Utah, a small farming town on the outskirts of Cedar City. From a young age, she gained an appreciation for art through her animal and wildlife drawings.



Nichole's career in art began as a hobby while she attended Southern Utah University. There she began experimenting with Prismacolor® Pencils, Pastels, and Graphite. It sprouted into something more as people began requesting artwork. While at SUU, Nichole majored in English Literature and minored in History. Although her course of study did not include art, it helped her develop a greater appreciation of history and cultures that her art reflects.



In 2007, Nichole married Ryan Taylor and moved to his family's cattle ranch in Moab, Utah. Both living on the ranch and the ranch lifestyle inspired Nichole paint as a career instead of just a hobby. It influenced her art in a novel way, inspiring her to paint from a different perspective. Instead of painting solely for realism in the painting, she paints for realism in the subject as well.

In order to protect the artwork, all art pieces are sealed with the appropriate fixative. Paintings are available with optional matting in a variety of colors. All mats are cut to fit standard frame sizes for ease and convenience. In the case of pastel drawings, matting is required due to the nature of pastels.
What's Included

Each order includes the following:

-A Thumbnail pre-sketch so you can see and approve of the layout and style of the painting before work begins,
-Step-By-step Photos of the painting progression,
-A complete list of colors used (available only for Prismacolor® Pencils),
-The option to have the painting mounted and framed, at additional cost,
-The option to purchase individual prints or
-The option to purchase the rights to the digital scan of the painting.

HOW TO START

Step 1: Choose a reference
Step 2: Choose a size (See Prices page for available sizes)
Step 3: Choose the materials
Step 4: Choose a style
Step 5: Contact the Artist.

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Step 1: Choosing a Reference
Just about any picture can be used as a reference as long as it is high enough quality and enough details can be see.

Possible Subjects:
Just about any subject can be used for a reference. Some possibilities are: pets, people, buildings, scenic landscapes, etc. Any combination of those possibilities can also be painted.

Multiple References:
In the case where a good reference cannot be found, multiple references are an option. In the case of "Blue Cream", there was no one perfect picture of Simi. Instead, multiple photographs were used with a more formal background:


It is also not uncommon to combine one reference for the foreground with a separate reference for the background, as is the case with "Painted Desert."



Basically, the options are only limited by the imagination.

Reference Suggestions:
Try to find a reference that shows the character of the subject.
The more details that appear in the reference, the better the final painting will be.
Plan ahead. Good paintings take time to finish.

Step 2: Choose a Size
Below are listed several standard sizes. Custom sizes are also available by request. Sizes vary depending on the materials used. For a full list of sizes and availability, please visit the Commission Prices Blog.

ACEO Card (2.5"x3.5")
8"x10"
8.5"x11"
11"x14"
16"x20"
18"x24"
20"x24" (Oils Only)
22"x28" (Oils Only)
24"x36" (Oils Only)
(Note: Pastel work is only available in one size (12"x16.5" with a 2" (approx.) mat fitted for a 16"x20" frame).

Step 3: Choosing Materials
There are three available options for materials: Prismacolor® Pencils, Pastels, and graphite. Descriptions and benefits of each are listed below. For a full list of options and materials, please visit the Commission Prices Blog.

OIL ON CANVAS
Please note: Due to the slow drying time of Oil paints, it will take 4 months after the commission is ordered to complete the painting, though less time is required for less detailed paintings. Because of the rich colors, oils are ideal for larger pictures and for portraits. Finished oil paintings are very durable and do not require matting or glass when they are framed. They are done either on stretched canvas or on linen with sizing options ranging from 8"x10" up to 24"x36". Unlike acrylic painting, however, the brush strokes and paint textures do not appear very much on the surface of the canvas.




PRISMACOLOR® PENCILS
(aka Colored Pencils)
Prismacolor® Pencils contain soft, brightly colored pigments that are both water and light resistant. The fine points on the pencils provide concise details and textures. Prismacolor® Pencil drawings are done on Arches 300lb Weight Hot Press Watercolor Paper that is known for both its durability and its rich texture. Because of the durability of the pencils, matting is optional but not required.




PASTELS
Unlike colored pencils, soft pastels resemble more of a colored charcoal or chalk that creates a smooth, rich texture, especially when combined with velour paper. Pastels create a brush-stroke look to the drawing that resembles the style of oil or acrylic paintings more than traditional artwork. The drawings are created on high quality Velour Paper, a soft, suede-like paper that grabs the pigment of the pastels and helps enhance the soft brush-stroke appearance of the drawing. Nupastel Color Sticks, harder pastels, are used for the fine details of the drawing.

Because of the delicate nature of the finished pastel product, a spray fixative is used to increase the durability of the drawing. However, the finished product should still be handled with care. Because it is so delicate, all pastel drawings come with matting cut to fit standard sized frames. Custom mat colors can be ordered at additional expense, or various colors of matting are available.




GRAPHITE
There are many options available for graphite drawings, although all are categorized under "Graphite" for ease. The three options available are: Compressed Charcoal, Graphite Pencils, and Conté Crayons. The descriptions for each are available below.

Graphite Pencils are traditional pencils used for sketch work. They range from an extremely soft and dark 8B lead to the hard and light 6H lead. They can be used either together or individually for different effects. As a whole, they are a great choice for small to medium sized drawings where extremely fine details are desired.



Compressed Charcoal comes in two colors: black and white. Charcoal requires more blending than graphite to acheive the different shades in the drawing, but it also can provide more depth in tone and a softer texture when desired. Charcoal is ideal for larger drawings.
Corral Work



Conté Crayons are hard pastel sticks that come in a variety of brown, black, and white shades. Conté crayons can often be used in conjunction with compressed charcoal due to the similarities in texture. Unlike compressed Charcoal or Graphite, Conté crayons enable the artist to create a greyscale drawing in a brown color instead of the traditional black and white for a unique effect.


Step 4: Choosing a Style
Available styles are listed below.

EXACT
The finished artwork looks almost exactly like the reference photograph.


STYLIZED
The finished artwork is similar to the reference photograph, but with stylistic touches.


NEAR-EXACT
The finished artwork is almost exactly like the reference but with elements removed or added from other references.


Step 5: Contact the Artist
Nichole can be contacted by email at nicholebtaylor@gmail.com or by phone by calling 435.260.9918.

To view larger images of the examples, please visit the Commission Examples Gallery.

OIL ON CANVAS
8"x10" - $150
11"x14" - $318
16"x20" - $560
18"x24" - $700
20"x24" - $802
22"x28" - $984
24"x36" - $1300

PRISMACOLOR® PENCILS
(aka Colored Pencils)

Made with Arches 300lb Hot Press Watercolor Paper

ACEO Card (2.5"x3.5") - $12
8"x10" - $100
8.5"x11" - $130
11"x14" - $218
16"x20" - $800
18"x24" - $900

PASTELS

Due to the nature of Pastels, matting is required at $10, which has already been calculated into the cost of the painting.

12"x16.5" Velour Paper with a 2" (approx.) mat fitted for a 16"x20" frame - $450

Custom sizes available by request up to 19"x27".

GRAPHITE

ACEO Card (2.5"x3.5") - $15
8" x 10" - $75
8.5" x 11" - $98
11" x 14" - $162
16" x 20" - $500
18" x 24" - $800

Custom sizes available by request.

COMPRESSED CHARCOAL & CONTE STICKS

ACEO Card (2.5"x3.5") - $15
8" x 10" - $75
8.5" x 11" - $98
11" x 14" - $162
16" x 20" - $500
18" x 24" - $800