Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Groleau
Nicole, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in a small harbor town in northern Massachusetts before moving to Austin, Texas, with my family in the early 2000s. Not long after, I got married and had two wonderful daughters. I spent ten years in an abusive marriage before finding the courage to leave with my girls. The decision came at a great financial cost, and I had to rebuild from the ground up.
For the next few years, I worked three jobs while raising my daughters, moving four times—from a small one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom house after three years of hard work. While juggling these responsibilities, I was also dealing with emotional challenges and searching for a creative outlet that could be both therapeutic and meaningful.
At the time, I was feeling stagnant as an artist when a friend, knowing my deep appreciation for nature, introduced me to cyanotype. I immediately fell in love with the process. Interestingly, I had already come up with the name Bleueprint before discovering this art form, not realizing how deeply fitting it would become.
The name was personal to me—“Bleue” reflects my French Canadian heritage and the navy blue hues of my coastal hometown, while “print” signifies creation. Initially, this meaning was just my own, but I later learned that cyanotypes were historically used to create architectural blueprints. That realization felt like a sign, affirming that I had found the artistic path I was meant to follow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, I’m not sure if there are smooth roads. I feel like life offers ups and downs as a learning experience, which keeps you from remaining in the same place. I have had to learn things about running a company that I never would have pursued before, I have also learned a lot about myself and things that I’m good at and things that I’ need to work on as a person and as a business owner.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Cyanotype Artist, which is a form of Camera-less Photography using light, sensitive chemicals, botanicals, and the suns UV rays to capture beautiful cyan blue images. I would say that I am known for being a very passionate person.. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to to live and experience our natural world. I would say what sets me apart is that I really want people to learn my craft. I truly take time to curate things so that they understand my love and respect for nature and intern when I’m teaching, I can foster a little of that for them.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Of course, social media is a great outlet to find like-minded individuals, but also getting out there and doing markets and being a part of your community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bleueprint.com/
- Instagram: @bleueprint_
- Facebook: Bleueprint
