My name is Nicole Heitzman.   I was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota.   My family and I moved when I was about eight years old to a small town known as Ethan, SD.   That is where I did most of my growing up.   I graduated from Ethan High School and from there I went on to college to study art and business at Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD.   After college I was married and moved to a farm just east of Parkston, SD.   That is where I create my artwork and observe most of the scenery and wildlife that goes into my work. 
          Art is a passion that I’ve always wanted to pursue.   I have been creating art since a very young age.   I began my love of art almost the first moment I could hold a pencil.   I believe that I acquired this talent from my parents.   Both of them are artistic in crafts and drawing.     I feel that I attained a lot of my creativity by watching my parents work and also by receiving positive influences from many of the people around me.  

            I gradually developed my art into a style, which I consider to be fairly naturalistic. I find myself painting things, animals, people, and places based on personal experiences and inspirations.  

           Many of my inspirations come from traveling.   Each time I travel, I find myself in absolute awe of the beauty of things and places around me.   I find myself taking in as much as possible so that I may come back to the studio to place onto canvas whatever rendition my mind captures of the things I’ve seen.  

            While I studied art at Northern State University, I was able to put things I’ve seen into my art assignments.   I learned many styles of art throughout college that have made me appreciate the infinite possibilities of art.   I graduated NSU with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts and a Minor in Business.