Studio Visit & Interview With Nicole Andrijauskas
Interview and Photographs by Brandon Joseph Baker
Nicole Andrijauskas in her studio in San Rafael, California.
I rode my motorcycle north to San Rafael to meet with Nicole Andrijauskas at her studio. Nicole was in the midst of completing the last works of her solo show, “The Beauty That Is Left.” She’ll be showing the radiating oil paintings at Incline Gallery on August 29th, 2025. I’ve been keeping up on Nicole’s work via her Instagram account and I was thrilled to get an advance preview of a few of the 30 paintings in the series that I’ve been captivated by since she began working in her self described neon era in February 2024.
Nicole’s current body of work explores the emotional challenges women face in our modern existence. The portraits of her female friends and family are anonymous, hidden behind a neon palette of florals. The works are arresting in their beauty, especially given their complex symbolic vehemence. Nicole’s oil works on canvas ensue from her long career in the motorcycle industry painting helmets, tanks and apparel. Her experiences in the past, present and with her peers are all represented in a luminescence that commands attention and veneration.
I’ve known Nicole since 2023. We met at Molotovs to talk art and ride motorcycles before heading to a Sketch Tuesday at 111 Minna. We became fast friends via our shared love of motorcycles and making art in The Bay. The opportunity to take a deep dive into a friend’s art practice, slowing down to ask the poignant questions which are occasionally glossed over in the hustle of hangouts or the white noise of riding was a pleasure. After the interview we rode to Sausalito to see even more of the works which she has framed and is storing until it’s time to hang the show.
Interview
Thank you for taking the time to meet with me in your studio while you’re in the midst of prepping for your solo show at Incline Gallery. I’m excited I got a chance to get an early preview. First can you tell me how you got started making art?
I went to school in Ohio to become a journalist but was hanging with all the art girls, so I switched my major to art therapy. The girls and I started a campus art club called Effusion, where we went to working artist studios. This was the first time I saw what I wanted to do. I finished my sophomore year, drove across the country to California and began the residency process. In 2006, I graduated with a double major in painting and textiles from SFSU.
Where did you grow up and did you ever think you’d be living in The Bay Area at this juncture of your life doing what you’re doing?
Yes, I did see myself living here! My Dad was in the Air Force so we moved a bunch—Germany, Florida, Las Vegas, Ohio. There was no big fear of moving because I’ve done it my whole life.
You were a teacher before you started pursuing art full time, how did you decide to make that transition?
I became a teacher by accident, mostly due to a shitty economy in 2008. Art was for people with disposable incomes, of which there weren’t many. I thought being a teacher was very “grown-up” and respectable. But, when you wake up unhappy everyday from working a 60+ hour work week, something’s gotta change. I thought if I’m going to be this tired, I’d rather be making art again—working towards something more fulfilling with a long game. It’s not like I was making a ton of money being a teacher. Plus, 6th graders are rude and thankless. ‘I can do creativity. Let’s get back to that,’ I thought.
We’ve talked in the past about how you enjoy oil paint, what is it about that medium that draws you in?
It’s what I learned to paint with and what I feel the most successful with. Oil paint seems to garner a lot of respect and I’m proud to create using a medium that takes time to master.
How did you pair your love of riding motorcycles with your art practice?
Painting and riding motorcycles were 2 things I’d done separately for 20+ years so it just made sense to try and combine them. The stock graphics on my tank were hideous so I started by sanding them off to make a blank canvas. From there, it was just a matter of filling up the space. I painted peaches, a huge magnolia flower, jasmine and some of my favorite tattoo flash. It was fun to approach painting in a way that forced me to design within a determined smaller space. And like beginner tattooers, my friends trusted me with their tanks and helmets, painting mostly botanical images and snakes. That was 2016.
What kind of creative challenges did you encounter blending those two worlds?
Working with pinstriping paint was a big learning curve because I was trying to achieve the same blending effect that I do with oils and acrylics but instead, it’s like painting with nail polish. It removes itself if you add layers without the right consistency of paint and reducer. Pretty finicky.
Painting tanks and helmets presents a unique challenge to seal the surface to protect it from the elements. What have you found works best for paint and sealants?
I like 1 Shot and Alpha Enamels for paint. Clear coating is a skill for folks with boatloads of patience, so I source that out to the pros.
Do you have a favorite thing to paint? I’ve noticed a lot of draping fabric, flowers and hands in your recent works. Am I on the right track?
Yeah mostly. Flowers are great to paint because there’s so much room for creative interpretation. I always think I’m going to paint them exactly like the photos I’ve saved but instead, I end up trying to solve the disconnect between my hand and eyes with new colors, extra petals, bent stems, more highlights, etc. A friend of mine told me ‘Yeah, that’s why you’re a painter.’
We visited a mural you painted here in San Rafael. How do you adapt your process from painting custom motorcycle helmets to large scale walls?
I started working as a mural painter with a neighbor before I graduated from art school and continued her business after she moved. That came more naturally than painting motorcycle stuff. The main difference is that one takes math and measuring and the other one doesn’t.
Your upcoming series ‘The Beauty That Is Left’ at Incline Gallery is a beautiful collection of figurative works with flowers. Would you care to give the readers a little background about the series before the show opens on August 29th?
The short version is about finding beauty in despair. The long version is about exploring the complex emotional terrain between toxic positivity and extreme nihilism through the lens of being a woman. We live with less and less predictability and more and more shitstorms. ‘The Beauty That Is Left’ is about believing that optimism is the right response to the human condition. It’s about finding hope in candid moments. It’s about knowing that simply being a woman is a conflict.
The series feels extremely personal yet all the identities of the subjects are masked. What drove the decision to remove the faces of each subject?
Many of the subjects are girlfriends and family members. I chose to paint them because they’re the guiding light for this work. I want to honor them. I wanted to mask their identities because there’s so much body language that is still relatable. As a woman, I know there’s been many times I’ve wanted to hide from reality and the flowers serve as both a beautiful distraction and a mask.
I absolutely love the frames on your paintings for the upcoming series. What inspired that neon glowing direction?
Thanks! I’m stoked on those too!! My last show (in 2023) was the first time I framed my paintings. It really elevated the work. I wanted to build on that so that the frames became part of the artwork vs. enhancing it separately. The neon oils helped guide the frame color decision.
When you sit down in the studio, what are your top three must haves beyond your supplies?
Lots of natural light. A chair. A glass of water.
I always like to ask every artist what motivates them to create or where do the ideas formulate that brings them into their studio? Can you give us a glimpse into what drives you to create?
Do you know how long you’re going to be alive? I don’t. My whole purpose in life is to explore, connect and create. I like the feeling of making something out of nothing and using that skill to shape an experience for others means I’m not wasting it. The ideas come from being around smart, funny women.
What do you listen to while you’re in the studio?
Podcasts about survival stories and interviews with entrepreneurs, NTS Radio and audiobooks, usually memoirs or self-improvement. Generally, around 15 minutes of news per day. Oh! And the lengthy, yet entertaining audio texts on our text thread, the Braap Babes. lol.
After you complete the work for your solo show, what do you have planned for the fall?
I’m heading to Alabama with BMW Motorcycles in October to paint helmets at the Barber Vintage Festival. Other than that, maybe renting some baggers with my betrothed and a ride to visit some friends. Wanna go on a trip?? Art wise, I’d like to have another solo show lined up before ‘The Beauty That Is Left’ closes on October 12th. There’s still so many women I want to paint!
It’s been an absolute pleasure to see your work in your studio and to share an advance preview of your solo show. Thank you!
