Avalon-based oil painter Nada Herman was always destined to become an artist.
With her grandfather an award-winning artist and growing up in a house with an artistic father, it was no surprise a young Nada reached for the paints and hasn’t put them down since.
She won her first art award when she was just 10 years old, and it’s been (mostly) onwards and upwards since then.
“Even if this wasn’t my career, I would still be painting,” Nada tells Peninsula Living.
“It’s something I have to do. It’s almost like an addiction.”
Growing up in Avalon, the laidback lifestyle and natural beauty of the Northern Beaches have always been her inspiration.
It was her grandfather, the late Sali Herman, who first introduced her to painting in his own Avalon studio.
Sali was a soldier in the Australian Army. His art depicted scenes from World War II, and in 1946 he was awarded the Sulman Prize.
Her father Ted Herman was also a big influence.
“My first memory of art is being in my grandfather’s studio and him encouraging me to paint,” Nada says.
“From an early age, I was always encouraged to paint and always had it available to me. I always had a lot of support.”
Avalon-based to this day, Nada says her daily routine of going to her ‘temple’ – the beach – for a swim or walking up the trail to the Palm Beach Lighthouse is instrumental in her creative process.
The tranquil backdrop and natural beauty of Pittwater allowed the third-generation artist a different perspective to that of her grandfather.
Sali’s award-winning work was usually concentrated on his time as a soldier, or the gritty urban setting of mid-20th century Redfern.
She was influenced by his work, but her focus ultimately became the contrast between the sand, sky, and ocean.
“I’ve actually never moved away from the Northern Beaches,” Nada says.
“It’s such a beautiful place to live. A lot of my work is influenced by the natural landscapes that we are so lucky to have here.”
Nada notes that she is always discovering potential subjects for her paintings. Something can come up out of her subconscious weeks or months after she first sees it.
“Painting can be a very subconscious thing,” she explains.
“You don’t always go out and then paint what you’ve seen that day. Sometimes, you’ll see something and then six months later you’ll be painting it.
“You don’t know when something is going to come up and present itself in your work.”
As with most creative pursuits, inspiration can come and go. It can be tough to find motivation, but at times Nada just needs to get herself into the studio and things then progress from there.
“If I can’t get motivated, I’ll go for a walk in nature and do some exercises,” Nada explains.
“It’s about clearing your head and going back into the studio and trying again. Writers can get writer’s block, so it’s a similar thing.”
If you’d like to see more of Nada’s work, visit her website nada-art.com.
By David Shilovsky