Nicola’s etchings are based on pieces of metal and rust. These objects – corkscrews, drill bits, scissors, and secateurs – are old found in markets or have been given to her. Nicola’s wish to revive old tools and reveal their personality, her interest in the surface textures of the metal with its well weathered patina resulting from years of use and exposure to the weather. Her work is created by layers of etching, dry point and aquatint which are added to and scraped back to produce similar results to that found on these metal objects, and it is this that she seeks to reproduce and represent, reflecting where possible their history.
