Niki
“Being a woman to me means being totally MYSELF! Regardless of gender, being yourself is hard but necessary.”
Niki is a gifted artist and entrepreneur, who operates both her art studio and cider company, The Carlisle Cider Co., from her home in Ontario, Canada. With watercolour and oil painting being her specialties, her canvas captures a range of subjects, from food to nature, in extraordinary colour and texture. As someone with tremendous creative energy, working in finance prior to starting her businesses did not fulfill her the way that art did; she decided to pursue her passions full time and has never looked back. Meet Niki. This is her story.
Photo by Danica Oliva
K: Please introduce yourself!
N: My name is Niki Kingsmill and I am an artist based out of my home studio in Carlisle, ON! I paint mostly in watercolour, but also in oil, fulfilling private commissions as well as growing my wholesale collection for stores across Canada and the US.
K: Describe or define yourself in your own words.
N: I am a big dreamer with big goals and ambitions.
Photo by Danica Oliva
K: What is your favorite thing about yourself?
N: My favourite thing about myself is how passionate I am about what I do. I feel so lucky to have my dream job and there is no better feeling than that! I think because I love what I do, I can put my best self into all my work, and that is my favourite thing about myself.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
N: When I was young, maybe 7 or 8, it was the dead of winter and we were visiting my grandparents at their apartment in Toronto. When we were leaving, my grandpa took us outside. The wind was WHIPPING and howling and very, very strong. It knocked my grandpa to the ground and he was really hurt. It was the first time as a child, I recognized age, time, pain and genuine worry. I recognized that people will get older and my grandpa wasn’t as invincible as I always thought he was. I made a painting about it called ‘The In Between.’
Photo by Danica Oliva
K: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
N: Learning about real life skills like financial literacy is SO IMPORTANT!!! And how to do your taxes.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
N: Being a woman to me means being totally MYSELF! Regardless of gender, being yourself is hard but necessary.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
N: I know it is cliché to say, but my MOM inspires me! And I tell her. She is an entrepreneur herself – left university to start her own business which she still does today. On top of that, she has raised two kids and is still the absolute rock of our family. She is the most selfless person, ready to drop everything to help you. She is also an extremely talented artist (much better than me) but she only does it for a hobby!