Nicole's Story Behind The Painting:

There's actually a real leaf included in this artwork. During the time I made this painting, I spent a lot of time wandering around Bay Ridge, following the dead leaves drifting in the wind. I listened to the crunch, crunch, crunch under my feet.

I made a habit of catching leaves mid-air, taking one or two and moving them to a ledge, pocketing a favorite to bring home, arranging leaves like words in a poem. I could say it was just a small thing, but it was also a big thing. I was experimenting with my freedom.

I was teaching myself that I could do things for no other reason than I found it amusing or fun and that was good enough reasoning. I was teaching myself that sometimes, you don't need a reason. I was teaching myself that I was capable of making my own choices, no matter how "silly" or "strange" they appeared on the outside. I was teaching myself that it was okay to want more than survival mode. I was reminding myself of something integral to who I am: my playfulness, my imagination, my willingness to be my own person.