Nicolette with curly red hair and glasses painting a colorful art piece on a canvas.

Contemporary Surrealist Art by Asheville Artist, Nicolette Leigh Yates.

Contemporary Surrealist Art by Asheville Artist Nicolette Leigh Yates

Artist, Nicolette Leigh Yates, holding paintbrushes and a small card with her quote: "Art builds a bridge across the gap in the mind the heart cannot cross."

Recent Works:

Appalachian Mermaid Story
acrylic on canvas
60” x 36”
Feb 2025

Currently on display at RAD Rendezvous, 87 Roberts St.
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Squawk About
acrylic on canvas
24” x 20”
Oct 2024

Currently on display at The BoBo Market in Downtown, Marshall NC
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View More Art:

Shop Art & Prints
A colorful abstract art piece on a card, placed on a blue surface with a pink and purple marker, two paper folded corners, and a small origami butterfly nearby.

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Featured
Workshop: Get Unstuck! (Pareidolia-Based Mixed Media Art Play)
Feb 27
Workshop: Get Unstuck! (Pareidolia-Based Mixed Media Art Play)

Upcoming Art Events In and Around Asheville.

Nicolette Leigh Yates in her art studio at RAD Rendezvous in Asheville's RIver Arts District.

About the Artist

I’m Nicolette Leigh Yates, a mixed media, intuitive surrealist artist living in Asheville, North Carolina with an interest in defining imagined worlds within the random textures of various media. Through the process of pareidolia and intuitive inner visioning, I illuminate the relationships between human identity, animals, landscape, and dream worlds.

Learn more about Nicolette

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Huge Thanks to 2026 Grant Providers

The words 'SOU ARTS H' with 'SOU' and 'H' in black, and 'ARTS' in red.
Logo with overlapping triangle shapes in light blue, yellow, and olive green, and the text 'ARTS AVL' in bold black letters.
The logo of Bank of America featuring a stylized American flag with red and blue stripes above the bank's name.
Logo of the North Carolina Arts Council with a colorful circular design and text.
The image shows a black background with a yellow gear graphic at the center. The words "AREA FOUNDATION" are partially visible, with "AREA" positioned around the gear and "FOUNDATION" partly underneath.

What People Are Saying About My Work

  • “Whimsical and earnest.”

  • “Its almost as if you’re untrained.”

  • “Creepy…but in a good way.”

  • “Its like, creepy and pretty.”

  • “You have a warped mind…in a good way.”

  • “I LOVE YOUR COLORS!”

  • “Quirky, but very cool.”

  • “If you’re still painting in 20 years, I CAN’T WAIT to see whats its like.”

River Arts District Recovery Efforts

Two images showing a gallery building labeled "Gallery Art Studios". The top image shows a vibrant, colorful mural on the exterior wall with clear, sunny weather. The bottom image shows the same building after damage, with debris scattered and muddy puddles on the ground, indicating destruction and water damage.

Foundation Studios Before and After Hurricane Helene.
Photo courtesy of Foundation Studios