cathy nichols

First of all, Cathy’s cheerful and friendly way of teaching makes you feel like you are painting with a good friend. Every month I’m excited to see what the lesson is. I’m so inspired to paint, and Cathy has such a wonderful way of teaching, with a “You can do it!” vibe that makes you really feel that you CAN paint anything. And, so, I dive into each month’s lesson, learning so much about technique and color theory as I joyfully paint. If it wasn’t for Cathy, I would never even have tried to paint flowers, and now I’m painting them all the time. I just adore her and Joy of Painting!

It is a delight to watch Cathy create amazing backgrounds and then enhance their beauty even farther with her lovely flowers and birds. One look at her Flower Deck had me saying, “I want to do that!” You’ll love Cathy’s classes and her quick replies and supportive help with your painting.

I came across mixed media art during the lockdown in 2020 and played around a bunch, but it never felt cohesive. I came across Cathy's Instagram page and fell in love with her work. And when I saw that she was doing mentoring classes in Joy of Painting, I signed right up. It's been very helpful to use her methods and put to use the techniques she's shown us, I even sold my first painting (ever) after only taking the classes for 4 months.

Joy of Painting has been a real treasure for me. Each new lesson and art discovery seems to bring out a bit more wonder and joy with what is emerging for me. I’m growing with my artistic abilities while also becoming increasingly aware of what feels really nourishing and exciting for me. A wonderful side effect is that I’m just naturally gravitating to discovering/awakening a new level of joy in all areas of my life. It has sparked a lot for me. From learning what supplies sparks joy for me while allowing the currents of excitement to bring to life more and more where the 'Art of Living in Joy’, is mine. Thank You Cathy for Sparking so much JOY in my Art and my Life! Xoxo Bonnie

This program has inspired me to take more chances. Since I started, collage is now incorporated to all my art. I never wanted to use collage, now I’m obsessed. I’ve branched out into painting creatures such as birds and even wildlife animals. Cathy is a generous, patient, extremely talented instructor.

Cathy I sincerely want to thank you so much for this class and how it has been such a huge shift in my life and my work - it’s been such a great challenge as an artist to think in a more collective body of work and language and even though I finished the deck I find myself still wanting to explore how to expand the ideas and push myself more - this is actually closer to the way I used to paint and create and explore in college and when I wasn’t doing art as my full income back in the day and I have missed this so much and it’s helped me realize I can paint “my” way and it can speak to people. I was getting so caught in the trap of painting what markets showed me would sell but this reconnection with my creative spirit has been the most rewarding experience I have had in such a long time. So thank you truly. Such a blessing.

It seems a silly thing, but sometimes striking out on your own, even with some experience under your belt, can be intimidating. Your course has allowed me to trust my own vision and capabilities. Also working alongside other creatives around the world and getting direct feedback from everyone has been invaluable. As we each bring our own visions to life this community has given me the courage and support to know that yes, I can do this too! You took a project that can at times feel overwhelming and made it light, approachable and the encouragement and beauty along the way only fed into my personal well of inspiration. And gosh darn it if you aren't the cutest when you teach, I chuckled along the way and more often than not I had a big smile on my face while I watched the video tutorials. 😘 Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have shared.

Cathy's class was everything I hoped for and more. Not only was I able to create a 52 card oracle deck under her guidance and wisdom, but it was an absolute joy to do so. Cathy lights up the room with her joy and positivity. She is a cheerleader for each and every one of her students and makes learning all the ins and outs of creating a deck life changing. Seriously. I grew so much in this course and I am so grateful to know the wonderful human who is Cathy Nichols!

I am one of those people who has always felt creative but never made the time to pursue it or give it the space it needed to grow. 2 years ago I had to leave work due to health reasons, and the recovery has been slow, long, and full of space for me to let my creative juices finally flow. Its funny how life gives us these “gifts”!. I found Cathy Nichols through a recommendation from a friend, and I was just in time to join the Joy of Painting, another gift from life! Through the last year of following Cathy, and also joining her in person for a 10 day retreat in France, I have grown significantly in my art journey. Cathy is the “real thing”, in that she gives generously in her teaching and she genuinely cares about her students. She is so talented, and has such a warm, humble and personable approach to her teaching. She also has a great sense of humor! Through her membership I have finally gained confidence in my ability to mix color (this has alluded me until now, even after taking a few on line courses). Cathy’s teachings simplified color mixing and empowered me to create nuanced color palettes, create shadow and highlights, and bravely add pops of accent color that brought my art to life. I feel like I have a more solid foundation in collage, color theory, painting florals, and creating compositions that work. I also feel free to add whimsical creative touches that don’t have to be perfect. This membership has been so worthwhile, and I have found a community of fellow artists that I did not have before. I am so grateful to have found Cathy on my art and healing journey, and I hope you join in too. You will be so glad you did!