ABOUT

Mrs. Nichols

This website was created in order to provide Heritage Christian Academy students and parents more information about the Art Program. I also wanted to have a place online for parents to see what we do in Art class on a daily basis, and to show off the amazing work our students do. The Art show only happens once per year, but our kids create wonderful pieces every day! In addition, I wanted to give students access to online resources; I want my students to be encouraged that they can grow up to become whatever they want to be, including an artist! 


I am so proud of my K3 - 12th grade students; they are wonderfully creative, persistent, respectful, and perseverant!

About Mrs. Nichols:

I was born in Florida, but I grew up in south Baldwin County, Alabama in a log house designed by my parents. When I was a little girl, my brother and sister were in the back yard, playing, and my brother spotted what he thought was a log. It turned out to be a small alligator which opened its mouth wide when we approached. We ran, screaming, into the house, and watched it from my mom's bedroom window until it crawled away.

I always knew I would become a teacher, but for awhile I thought I would become a marine biologist just so I could be the one to figure out the language of dolphins. (I still love animals!)

I am married to a fabulous husband, Den, who is an artist in his own right. I also have a 10 year old little boy. We love to spend time together as a family and we have been seen at the Tennessee and Georgia Aquariums, the Moss Rock Preserve, any and all art festivals here in town, and we frequent the McWane Center and Birmingham Zoo.

As an artist, I enjoy painting landscapes and drawing portraits in pencil. I consider myself a bit of a culinary artist, as well, and I love to invent recipes. I learn all the time from my students, and my favorite thing about being an art teacher is seeing my students excel with an art technique after they have practiced and worked hard to succeed.

I love working in just about every medium! My greatest inspiration comes from my students, and I consider being a teacher one of the highest honors. Pablo Picasso once said, "I am always doing that which I cannot do in order that I may learn how to do it." Being an artist, a mom, and a teacher is like that - "Lord, make me a better art teacher tomorrow than I am today!"

Here are a few examples of Mrs. Nichols' personal artwork: 

12"x28" fluid acrylic canvas painting, Let the River Flow

4'x4' fluid acrylic canvas painting, Throw the Bucket In the Water

18"x24" manipulated acrylic fluid canvas painting, I Can See the Wind

18x24 acrylic fluid canvas painting, Flora

9"x9" acrylic fluid canvas painting, Jupiter Abstract

8"x8" acrylic fluid canvas painting, Uranus Abstract

6"x6" acrylic fluid canvas painting, Neptune Abstract

woodcut print of my parents' back porch (from a photo taken by my mother)

sketchbook drawing of my cockatiels, graphite

portrait of Peterson baby, graphite

portrait of McMillan baby, graphite

portrait of Wilson baby, graphite

etching (intaglio print) of my grandfather's place

graphite drawing

My nephew, Jackson, learning about wheel throwing

wheel thrown forms, one with sculptural addition

wheel thrown pottery with sculptural addition

wheel thrown pottery with drip glaze

wheel thrown pottery with sculptural addition, glazed stoneware

wheel thrown pottery with sculptural addition

glazed and painted ceramic wall plaque

glazed ceramic wall plaque

pastel sketch

Psalm 1:1-3

Blessed is the one

    who does not walk in step with the wicked

or stand in the way that sinners take

    or sit in the company of mockers,

2 

but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,

    and who meditates on his law day and night.

3 

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,

    which yields its fruit in season

and whose leaf does not wither—

    whatever they do prospers.

Education

University of Montevallo, B.F.A. (Bachelor's of Fine Arts with a concentration in ceramics), 2000, graduated summa cum laude

University of Montevallo, M.ed. (Master's degree in Education.), 2003, Highly Qualified Teaching Certification, Class A, certified to teach grades K-12

Awards:

AAEA Middle School Art Educator of the Year, 2018

        Distinguished Service Inside the Profession Award, AAEA, 2015

        Top 5 Finalist, Jefferson County Secondary Teacher of the Year, 2015

        Teacher of the Year, 2014-2015; Hueytown Middle School

        Alabama Art Education Association Presidential Service Award, 2014       

        AAEA Middle School Art Educator of the Year, 2013

        Second Mile Teacher, Hueytown Middle School, 2008

        Hueytown Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Month, Sept., 2007

Community Service:

In 2007, Mrs. Nichols was a member of the Jefferson County Visual Art curriculum team.

She was a Jefferson County "Mentor Teacher" from 2010-2016.

Currently, Mrs. Nichols co-chairs the AAEA Mentoring program for visual art teachers across the state of Alabama.

Finally, Mrs. Nichols was the first ever coordinator of the Hueytown Community Fine Arts Night in 2007 and was coordinator again in 2011 and 2012.