Bio
It started on March 7, 2019.
Nadine Shillingford is a Nashville-based artist who works primarily with charcoal on paper but also enjoys creating mixed media pieces using mediums such as acrylic and reused materials. She was born on the island of Dominica but has considered Nashville her home since 2013. Nadine has a doctoral degree in computer science and is a cybersecurity data analytics engineer. Her work can be seen in exhibits around the Nashville area and beyond. She is an author and teaches art classes on demand. She is the proud mom to Hailey who is a student at Yale University. When she’s not working and creating, she hangs out with her brown dog named Lola and her friends from @bluehousecreativesnashville. Her work can be seen in @charcoalattebynadine on Instagram.
Artist Statement
I am primarily a charcoal artist. The subject I enjoy drawing the most is the human face. I especially love drawing eyes. My charcoal drawings are done on Strathmore toned grey paper using a combination of drawing, smudging, and erasing. I do not have formal art training so my methods are a bit unconventional. For example, rather than use a tortillion for shading, I use a makeup applicator sponge. I can best describe it as applying makeup to the subject in the drawing. I learned most of my methods by trial and error. I achieve consistency by working on my craft daily, that is, most of my drawings are done in one sitting of approximately 2-3 hours. I recently started adding pastel colors to my charcoal drawings. In addition to my charcoal drawings, I occasionally work on acrylic and mixed media art. I love playing with vivid colors and complex patterns. In addition, I love to write. I have multiple published books including Hello Beautiful! and #charcoalatte. I have a few others in various stages of development.