Where is the best place to take a family holiday and find art inspiration? Gold Coast abstract artist, Nicky Schafter is pretty sure her trip to New York City ticked all the boxes.
We chatted to Nicky about all things baby travel, artwork inspo, the 'yes' vote and of course, her families Travelshoot.
Tell us about you and your family!
I'm Nicky, my partner Christie and I have 2 boys, Dakota (12), and our newest edition is little Harvey Jack (11 months). We live on the Gold Coast, and we are so fortunate to have recently found the best little neighbourhood in Mermaid Waters! After travelling and moving into a new home, I was inspired to launch Your Art, a commission abstract art and online gallery project.
Why did you choose New York for this family holiday?
It was high on our bucket list, and after years of watching Sex and the City, Gossip Girl and loads of movies - we were pumped! We had spent our last few holidays in Japan snowboarding and tripping around Ireland and Italy, so we were excited to be heading to the USA.
How did you find travelling with a baby? Best tip?
It was great! Way easier than we had expected. Dakota did plenty of travel as a young baby, so I was keen for Harvey to do the same. Travel is such a great bonding experience, and it's super important for us to create family stories and memories through travel. Best tip - Packing Cells! Who knew they existed? They are little mesh zipper bags that sort your gear into compartments. We had separate cells for toys, nappy needs and food. So when you're on a plane, or on the go with a wriggly baby, is super easy to quickly grab what you need without rummaging through your bags.
New York is a creative hub - did it help inspire your business or art in anyway?
Absolutely. NYC is super creative, you can feel it the second you arrive. Everywhere you look there is inspiration, so much variety. I took so many photos to use as inspiration for my abstract art.
How does travel impact your art designs?
Travel opens my eyes and gives me courage to explore new styles and bring variety to my art. I am also really inspired by composition, many of my photos end up being the base shapes in my artwork.
Why was a Travelshoot important for this family holiday?
The Travelshoot was the very unexpected highlight of the trip! Not only did we have a great time doing the shoot, but we are in love with the photos! It was so special for us for two main reasons. Firstly, it was Harvey's first big trip, and we were yet to capture any great shots since we became a foursome. Secondly, I LOVE photos, but am always the one taking them and never in them, so it was really lovely to be in the shots. We have since shared them with friends and family, who all love them.
Is the photo on your site your favourite Travelshoot moment?
YES! I love the street scene, it's so NYC! This shot was completely unexpected. We were in Central Park and it started to rain, so our awesome photographer suggested we head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to take more pics. We were about to hail a cab and took the opportunity to get this shot! We also loved the shots that were taken in the cab on the way to the Met - who would've thought!
Favourite destination and why?
Niseko, Japan - it's just so beautiful. White, cold and so homely! We've had two family snowboarding holidays there and we just love it!
Next holiday destination?
Great question, plenty of discussion around that now! There's loads more to do in the USA, and the Maldives is up there too.
If people reading this are as obsessed with your art as our team is, how can they contact you?
Check us out on Facebook or Instagram @yourartbynicoleschafter, or jump on our website www.yourart.com.au. I love working with clients to create the perfect piece for their space!
You were overseas when Australia was going through the Yes vote. How was this for you?
We were happy to get out of Australia for a bit while the campaigning was going on. The media publicity and Say No campaigning was harder for us to handle than we had expected. We were really happy to be swinging hands while exploring NYC, where diversity is celebrated. I actually proposed to Christie while we were over in NYC! That was pretty amazing.
Now the vote was a YES, how has this impacted your family?
Wedding plans! The day it was announced I just cried watching the TV coverage of all the love and support out there. We live in an amazing country and feeling fully accepted is an incredible feeling. The smile on my sons face when I collected him from school was the best! Our family has always been filled with love, and now it is over-flowing. Thanks to everyone who voted yes!
Capture your family holiday like Nicky did!