His detailed pieces are full of hand-crafted mini people in an extraordinarily detailed background, which are all made in Nic's studio in Hampshire. Nic carves his figures as originals in wire and plaster before they are cast in solid bronze using the lost-wax process which is a method of metal casting whereby a molten metal is poured into a mould that has been created with a wax model. Once the mould is created, the wax model is melted and drained away.

When dry, they are sanded down (either with a belt sander or a teeny-tiny strip of sandpaper) and cleaned before being hand-painted. The scaffolding is brazed with a blowtorch to create texture and a natural colour definition before being cut out of the thin plywood. Once Nic has all of the necessary parts, he can begin the painstaking construction, which can include installing anything from LED lights to replica mobile phones.

Nic's artistic career was born in a stained glass and metal workshop. Inspired by the European painters Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Bruegel, he explored his own unique style and began to create his tiny figurines.

He studied at the Winchester School of Art and was initially creating these tiny theatrical figures and scenes for his children, crafting them and placing them around the house for them to find. He was still working as a furniture designer and maker as his full-time job, so Nic would literally carry the tiny figurines round in his pocket so he could work on them at any available moment. He later bought a shop where Nic was selling his own designed and made furniture, then also started selling his art, which flew off the shelves, and his full-time art career was born.

Nic has turned his hand to LED technology and 3D printing, and to make his incredible pieces, he has experimented with everything from Japanese inks to toilet roll, acrylics, soil and glitter to bring his miniature scenes to life.

He is a great student of the human condition and is unafraid to tackle life's difficult subjects head-on. Nic's openly emotional pieces make a huge connection with his many collectors, who often tell him what they mean to them. 'It's really humbling to hear that my art touches people'' Nic says.

In 2024, we celebrated Nic Joly's tenth anniversary with Castle Fine Art and remembered the intricate details tell stories of moments lived, emotions felt, and a journey embarked upon. His collections have taken on every facet of humanity from sadness to joy. To date, he has raised over £80,000 for The Royal British Legion through the sale of his 'Never Forgotten' sculpture, which commemorated the fallen soldiers of World War One.

His 65 Weeks collection revealed his thoughts, observations and emotions following the announcement of the UK COVID-19 lockdown. The pieces were both humorous - including a raunchy sex scene and the frenzy of panic-buying toilet roll - and poignant, exploring Nic's struggle with depression and the love he feels for his wife and children.

Other creations include a pair of works celebrating Valentine's Day, and his Hands On collection which still included Nic's 'little people' but took his work in a new direction. Hands On had been his secret private passion project since 1997, and the collection was named in honour of his roots of his former life as a carpenter and In many ways, this work was Nic revisiting and reflecting on his former self and bringing the experience and skills of those early years into the present. Showcasing both original wall-hanging and freestanding sculptures, Nic used an ink stamp of his own hand throughout the series alongside a striking colour palette, polished bronze sculptures and carved 17th century wood.