Nicole Seitz is a local artist and award-winning author of 12 novels and non-fiction books. This year, she is thrilled to be accepted into the 2026 Piccolo Spoleto Outdoor Art Exhibition. She was a competition artist for Artfields 2024, Artfields Portrait and Plein Air Contests 2023-2024 and Edisto Plein Air Paint Out 2023-2025.

 

Nicole grew up on Hilton Head Island, a small town off the coast of South Carolina, where she was surrounded by palmetto trees, marsh grass, sandy beaches and unique Southern characters. As an author, artist and speaker, Nicole's work is deeply influenced by her faith and the mystique and charm of the South. Nicole serves as the chair of the Town of Mount Pleasant Culture, Arts, and Pride Commission and started the Plein Air Paint Out at ArtFest. She taught visual arts and creative writing at local schools for 15 years and has led the Manifold Creative Arts Ministry since July 2024.

 

Nicole received a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a B.F.A. in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her freelance articles have been in numerous newspapers and magazines. Nicole is also a published illustrator, and her artwork has been exhibited in Southern art galleries. Her novels feature her paintings/illustrations on the covers. 

 

Named "Best Local Author Who Also Paints" in Charleston City Paper's Best of Charleston 2009, and in 2007, Nicole was named one of Charleston Regional Business Journal's "Forty Under 40" for her professional successes and community involvement. She has spoken to many groups on writing, art and faith. In 2009, she spoke as part of the Southern Literary Festival during Piccolo Spoleto. In 2008, she gave the Baccalaureate address for the College of Charleston. An artist at heart, Nicole enjoys creating pictures with words and with paints, bringing her characters and settings to life. She lives in the Charleston, South Carolina, area with her husband, Brian. and spends her free time traveling, doing commissions, painting, writing or entering portrait and plein air competitions.