Artist spotlight - Neal Novak

Claire Elizabeth Gallery is pleased to spotlight artist Neal Novak. Novak is a self-taught artist who lives and works in Arizona, a place that inspired his vibrant compositions for years before he relocated there from Baton Rouge, LA. Using oil as a base and layering subtle highlights of pastel and charcoal, Novak creates dynamic works on canvas that allow the viewer to "peel back" blocks of color.

Line, color, and shape inform his approach, but ultimately his process is to capture a particular mood. Novak seeks to engage and even challenge the viewer through his creative practice.

In his own words:
       I usually approach a canvas with a particular endpoint in mind. After each session, I examine the work, reevaluate my goals, and sketch out on paper my new vision for the painting. A particular work may go through dozens of iterations before a final version emerges. A quote from Richard Diebenkorn, which I keep in my studio, serves as a reminder that painting is a journey that requires both imagination and dedication: “I can never accomplish what I want—only what I would have wanted had I thought of it beforehand.”​