About
Hello, I’m Nina Squire, a soft pastel artist and tutor based in Dorset.
I love a travelling studio. Give me an easel, a set of soft pastels, a coastal view and a flask of coffee and I’m happy. When I can, I take my materials outside or to shows and events, where I enjoy meeting people and chatting while I work.
I trained as an illustrator at Falmouth University more than 25 years ago. Since then, my way of working has developed through years of painting, experimenting and teaching. I am known for my pet portrait commissions alongside my love of painting seascapes. Soft pastel remains at the heart of my work because of its beautiful colour, immediacy and wonderfully tactile nature.
I began teaching online in 2020 and quickly discovered how much I enjoyed bringing artists together from around the UK and further afield. It has become a friendly virtual studio where people can learn, experiment and enjoy a little creative escape together.
Inspired by the South West
My works can be seen in many homes and offices, not only locally in Dorset, the South West and London but also as far away as the USA and Japan. My loyal customers have been the inspiration for developing several strands to my work. Many of my clients have returned over the years, drawing their first dog, their first home, their first pony or their family portraits as the years pass, or capturing places that are special to them, perhaps their favourite holiday views and their treasured memories.
I’m perhaps best known for portraits of people’s pets but, I also love to paint seascapes and landscapes. Whatever the subject, for me it’s all about capturing a personality, or an essence, and creating something that looks real. With everything I paint I want the viewer to feel they can walk in to the picture – or perhaps my subject might be just about to jump out into the real world!
Artist in Residence
For many years I’ve been the Artist in Residence with the Royal Artillery Point to Point at Larkhill. It was during a Point to Point event that I was asked to go to London. It transpired that I’d just been invited to visit the celebrated Kings Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, in London! I spent a year with them, and was lucky enough to get a personal behind the scenes tour of both Wellington Barracks and Horse Guards Parade during their summer residency. This led to me becoming their Artist in Residence for the Royal Windsor Horse Show, which was a stunning day.
Watching people discover painting
When I attend events and shows people are often fascinated by watching me draw. Some enjoy observing the process and seeing the picture emerge, while others tell me about their love of drawing as a child, or their urge to take up pastels as a hobby. This is what led me to develop my first classes in teaching soft pastels over 25 years ago. Teaching people to make their own works of art has given me a new dimension of fulfilment in my own work: I meet people from all walks of life, and each has their own story to tell. What they all have in common is that they love art and they love animals – which makes them my sort of people!
Unison Colour Associate Artist
One of my proudest moments was being invited to become a Unison Colour Associate Artist in 2020.
Unison Colour soft pastels are handmade in Northumberland by people who understand the importance of colour, texture and quality. I use them throughout my own work and teaching. Their softness and generous pigment make them beautiful to use dry and particularly responsive in the liquid-underpainting technique I often demonstrate.
For me, pastel painting is a very tactile experience. The way a pastel feels against the surface contributes to the enjoyment of painting as well as the appearance of the finished work.
In conversation with Jackson’s Art
Unison Colour also invited me to talk to Jackson’s Art about their pastels and how I use them in my own paintings and workshops.
During my visit, I demonstrated some of the qualities I value most about soft pastel and discussed the materials and techniques I regularly use with my students. You can watch our video and explore the Jackson’s Art page featuring materials connected with my workshops.
Collaborating with the National Trust
In 2020, I collaborated with the National Trust on a creative project designed to help people connect with the landscapes they love. I created view through the dunes artwork of Studland and shared a video showing the painting as it developed.
The collaboration also introduced me to a project helping to protect and restore the UK’s beautiful sand dunes. The coastline is central to both my paintings and my life, so I was delighted to write about the dunes at Studland and why these fragile landscapes matter.
The Studio
My Dorset studio is where I develop new paintings, prepare workshop demonstrations and experiment with colour, surfaces and new ideas.
Visits are available by appointment, so please contact me if you would like to ask about current paintings, a commission or my teaching.
Online workshops and a creative community
Teaching has always been about more than learning techniques. The friendships, encouragement and friendly chatter shared by my regular Dorset students are an important part of our time together. I hope I have brought that same atmosphere to my online workshops, where artists now join me from across the UK and further afield. It really is like painting together online.
The sea is a constant source of inspiration. I spend much of my free time exploring the coast and have gathered a large collection of photographs from Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. These often become the starting point for new paintings and workshop demonstrations.
Students sometimes tell me that watching a beach or seascape emerge feels like taking a little virtual holiday. That is exactly what I hope my workshops provide: friendly guidance, time to experiment and a creative escape from everyday life.
What People Say
Let’s keep in touch
If you’ve enjoyed exploring my artwork and demonstrations, I’d love to keep you updated. Subscribe to my newsletter for the latest Draw Along With Me demonstrations, workshop dates, exhibitions and artistic news.
