Meditative and creative: spotlight on guest artist Nicole Poppell

Nicole Poppell is a homegrown Arizonan, artist, designer, muralist and founder of

Mural Mates. Her exuberant approach to all forms of art—from petite prints to wall-sized statement pieces—reflect her love of abstract shapes and the natural world. We’ve fallen in love with her work and think it has a lot in common with a mindful, HiRoader lifestyle. When approached with the phrase “Take the calm route”, Nicole created a dreamy and desert-inspired design that makes us want to pack up the car, put on our seatbelts and head out to discover new vistas. Nicole finds inspiration on the road too and uses a sketchbook to grab ideas as they come to her. She documented her process so you can see how it all comes together.

Nicole Poppell BTS

Nicole uses a sense of play, observation and meditation as she approaches her art. We asked her to share a few thoughts..

Three questions for Nicole

We’re drawn to the mindful aspects of your art. How do you describe it?

My personal art practice has always been a form of meditation for me. In particular, I’ve always been drawn to Abstract and Surrealist movements because of its disconnection and juxtaposition from reality. It’s been a way for my unconscious mind to express itself without having to feel the need to control the outcome. Because of this, I come up with odd shapes and unusual color compositions that I normally may not have come to.

What keeps you focused on a busy work day?

I’m a huge list maker, so each day I try to write out what I need to get done that day and prioritize it based on deadlines. I also find that most of my office work falls into 2 categories: management and design. One is more creative which requires more focus and the other bounces around a lot so I try to schedule out my design days/hours apart from the project management work. 

What’s your current inspiration—either from books, streaming content, art, nature or another source?

Nature always has a way of inspiring me both in the patterns and shapes that I find as well as sketching landscapes and plants. Lately, I’ve been especially loving all the creatures around our house. We’ve got bird nests in the backyard, wild bunnies, neighborhood cats, and a daily wake up call from this woodpecker that loves pecking our neighbors satellite dish at 7am sharp.

I also generally get inspired by playing with materials, new tools, and learning new crafts. Something about the act of learning excites me more than the end product.

You can find Nicole’s murals, installations, artwork and collaborations here. 

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