Featured artist: Niki Bell
Many people will know Niki as a leading local art trainer who runs a popular classes from her studio in Chesham.
Because she invests a lot of time in developing other people’s talent, we thought it would be apt to showcase her own artwork as our featured artist for the Bucks Art Society Spring 2026 Exhibition at the Fitzwilliams Centre, Windsor End, Beaconsfield from 2 to 4 May.
Profile written by fellow BAS artist Keith Francis
Niki Bell has been selected as the Featured Artist at this year’s Buckinghamshire Art Society Spring Exhibition.
As a full-time professional artist, Niki stands out for her distinctive approach to both technique and subject matter.
Her application of colour is particularly noteworthy; she employs vibrant and powerful hues that remain balanced, resulting in visually striking works.
While her style initially appears impressionistic, closer inspection reveals a careful attention to detail and a subtle realism that gives her paintings a unique internal structure.
Niki is known for her experimental spirit and willingness to challenge traditional artistic conventions.
Whereas many are taught to avoid excessive detail and maintain a loose style, Niki has embraced the opposite.
Her creative process begins by drawing directly onto the surface of her work, gradually refining the detail until she feels an emotional connection to the subject.
Only at that point does she begin to paint, allowing her intuition to guide her choices in narrative, brushwork, and colour. This process results in artworks that are unmistakably her own.
Drawing has been a lifelong passion for Niki, and she considers it fundamental to her artistic practice.
Spring 2026 featured artist Niki Bell
Her focus on nature and wild animals is another key aspect of her work, a passion likely rooted in her early years spent in Africa.
Niki attributes much of her success to the guidance of her art teachers, who encouraged her to see being an artist as an opportunity to explore various mediums.
She continues to follow this advice, producing work across multiple forms. In addition to painting, she is an accomplished printmaker, sculptor, and potter.
Niki’s enthusiasm for art extends beyond her own practice to education.
She runs classes for both adults and children in her spacious studio, finding personal fulfilment in helping others achieve their artistic goals.
You can see Niki Bell’s work, alongside that of other leading Buckinghamshire artists, at the 2026 Bucks Art Society Spring Exhibition at the Fitzwilliams Centre, Windsor End, Beaconsfield from 2 to 4 May.