Growing up as an only child in Ontario, Canada, Nicia (pronounced "Nee sha") was left to amuse herself; and as children tend to do, she became enthralled with the  worlds of fantasy, mythology & magic.  Artists like Kay Nielsen and special effects pioneer Ray Harryhausen inspired her to make real the images seen in her minds eye.  "My biggest complaint is that I usually can't find exactly what I want, so I end up making it myself."  With no formal art training, experimentation with different tools gives her an ever-changing slant on design." I like the fact that the materials I use to create a piece have properties that never give the exact same result; so that even though the structure is the same, the finished piece is always unique and special. For example, I can watch a hummingbird hover over a flower, then capture that image and make it a work of art.  Living in the Smoky Mountains has shown me how sheer size, tempered with beauty and tranquility creates serenity."

            Nicia is also an accomplished musician. She is a song writer and keyboardist with a dance band known as ROCK-iT. She collaborated with her husband Mark on the soundtrack to "Best of the Smokies Vol. II" as well as songs from ROCK-iT's CD entitled "Party On" in 1999 and "Cover to Cover" in 2001.