Though his guiding themes are communities and human interactions, he rarely includes human figures in his work. His subjects frequently include historic though commonplace architecture as many as several centuries old. To make these works, Nick drives around Boston in an old green van that he has converted into a studio on wheels, working directly on the street when he finds a suitable subject. Nick is adamant about two rules in his own painting: to paint only from observation and never from reproductions; and to finish a work in one sitting in the pursuit of immediacy and thus accuracy of an experience. His style is characterized most by its quick and large brushstrokes.