b. 1978 George, OR | Nichole Montgomery | Based in Tulsa, OK

I was raised in the forests of Oregon, part of the Pacific Northwest landscape, and after studying Criminal Justice at Mount Hood Community College (MHCC) I entered the U.S. Army in 1998. I was first stationed at DISCOM with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea, then served in Medical Troop at Fort Carson, Colorado, with the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.

I am a generational, self-taught artist. My great-grandmother Dorothy, my grandmother Beverly, and my mother Elisabeth were all multifaceted artists, and that legacy has passed on to my two highly intelligent and gifted grown children. I began creating at six years old through doodling, choosing early on to move away from structured creations. My art has always resisted boundaries, existing in its own space with no focal point, where connection matters more than comparison.

In the early 1990s, guided by my high school teacher Mr. Brown in my hometown of Estacada, I developed the line work that still defines my practice today. While the essence of my mark-making has remained the same, their sharpness has softened with time, reflecting both growth and healing.

Since 2003, I have integrated a grounding process through art into my life alongside professional therapy through the Veteran Administration. I am not a therapist, but I know the strength of combining creative practice with structured care. My NeuroLines work grew from this intersection: a personal practice of survival, repair, and expression that continues to anchor me.

My artistic influences stretch across family and culture. H.R. Giger revealed how darkness and precision can merge into entire worlds. Erté showed me the elegance of art deco, where sharp, structured lines contrast against space. Alphonse Mucha’s flowing forms taught me how layered detail creates movement and life. Added to that were the hundreds of books I grew up with—Aesop’s Fables, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, folklore and myth passed down through my grandfather Hopper’s library and inherited by my mother—later joined by Stephen King, John Saul, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice. My imagery was further shaped by the pages of National Geographic, the condensed glimpses of the wider world from Reader’s Digest, and the steady rhythm of PBS, the only channel that reached our forested area. All of these influences, layered with lived experience, formed the foundation of how I see, process, and create today as a middle-aged woman.

Over the last two decades I have worked at numerous locations creating, and in 2024 I became a full-time artist. This year I opened my own studio, The Den, in downtown Tulsa. It is a private and peaceful space, with visits available by appointment only.

THE SKY GALLERY | Route 66 | MEADOW GOLD DISTRICT | 1401 E 11th St. Tulsa, Oklahoma 74120

Nichole will have smaller scale works on display and available from November 2024 to present day. Come explore pieces by 90+ local artists and celebrate the talent thriving in Tulsa. Thank you for supporting our city’s creatives.