Nicole K. Docimo

Nicole K. Docimo, Davis, CA
Blue Bicicletta
Blog: bluebicicletta.wordpress.com
Shop: www.bluebicicletta.etsy.com


Random facts about Nicole >>

I have great morning hair (so says my fiancé)
I love tomatoes
I write in a journal every morning as a way to start my day
I like taking showers at night as a way of ending my day
I love the public library—I visit almost every weekend
I am an obsessive list maker

Work Space >>


The “Make Art Not War” poster is by Shepard Fairey and can be found at www.syracuseculturalworkers.com

What inspires me...


♪ ♬ Playlist

A random collection of songs from my You Tube Playlist:

“Helen” by Nizlopi
“Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s
“Yellow” by Coldplay
“Pump Up the Jam” by Technotronic
“Trouble” by Elliott Smith
“Fade into You” by Mazzy Star
“Hey Ya!” by Outkast
“Art” by Tanya Davis
“Don’t You Want Me” by Human League

We just had to know...

Do you do this full-time? If not, what pays the bills?

I am not a full-time artist, yet. I would love to do this full-time, and I am working towards it, but right now, being an office assistant part-time is what pays the bills—you know, paper pushing and lots of spreadsheets.


How long have you been doing this for and how did it all begin?

I have been doing art since I was a kid, but the type of art I’m doing now, which is mainly pen and ink drawing, started about three years ago. I had graduated from college and been jumping from job to job without much satisfaction when I realized that what was really missing from my life was art. I would do a little here, a little there, but nothing serious. I had always been a doodler, and my doodles were always in the form of abstract line drawings, so in the middle of trying lots of different types of art, my then boyfriend, now fiancé, asked me why I never made actual artwork with my doodling style. And that is where this all began. I also started incorporating words into my work from my creative writing and poetry background, and two different styles began to form.

How would you describe your style?

One style I work in is semi-abstract, intricate, contemplative, line and pattern-inspired, the other is based on simple, quirky, somewhat naïve, design-inspired bold shapes, often including words and bits of poetry


What was it that made you want to start creating? Did something specific trigger it?

The first thing I ever wanted to be was an artist---when I was a little kid, I would draw cartoon people, make a bunch of photocopies and hand them out to the patrons at my parents’ restaurant. Even during times when I haven’t been really making art, I’m always cooking, taking pictures, writing, etc. I guess there’s just some part of me that likes to make things. I think I’m a bit philosophical about it too—I’m constantly thinking about how fleeting everything is, and I think art helps me cope with that—I can capture an idea, a moment in time, or just admire a beautiful shape. I’m also really inspired by ideas— more even than making the art, I get the biggest high when I come up with a new idea for a piece. I get a lot of ideas while walking or biking, and I literally float home while I turn the idea over and over in my head. There’s nothing better than that moment of possibility.

Have you developed any odd quirky habits (that you'd be willing to share) from working by yourself for so long?

I like to listen to music while I draw, and drawing requires quite a bit of sitting, so I’ve developed what I call “the mid-morning dance break” (although it need not be mid-morning). It is exactly what it sounds like—a little burst of dancing, ideally to quality 80s hits like “Pump Up the Jam.” What better way to celebrate working by yourself than jumping up from your desk and dancing right then and there?

Thanks Nicole!!