About

My artwork is created within three mediums: paint, silverpoint, and wood (wall-mounted wood mosaics). I’ve learned to follow my Intuition. I love discovering new worlds, visiting old ones, blending and re-creating.

Of special interest to me is a theme involving Natural elements juxtaposed with human-made objects. There is profound beauty in the simple and ordinary, a feeling of timeless roots. Natural elements: beach stones, pods, bones, shells; human-made elements: clear glass spheres, elegant tools, rusted metal… This ever-expanding body of work has become my Meditations series, a personal spiritual iconography.

Influences: I was born in Philadelphia, PA and raised in Bucks County with my four sisters. A fascinating tradition in the family was at Easter when our artist father would hand-paint Byzantine icons on hollowed-out eggs for our grandparents. Some lasting impressions from childhood: a shimmering leaf of gold as my father prepared to detail the halos of the icons; his gentle brand of irreverence in using the face of our grandmother as The Virgin; the wonderfully expressive and decorative Eastern Orthodox art - other-worldly and strange, but beautiful.

In growing up with that tradition and with regular family outings to Philadelphia’s great museums, I became interested in the infinite ways the human figure was expressed through the centuries. That it could be figurative but not necessarily naturalistic was a thrilling revelation to me, and meant that I interpret my world. A deep passion to find my way of creating was awakened. It was during that period that I took my first breath of life as an artist.

Over the years I gravitated toward and worked for long periods of time in fine woodworking and glassblowing studios and with sign makers, interior designers, and architects – all highly creative environments. During these years I: lettered, carved, and gilded signs; used a wide range of painting techniques on furniture and architectural models; worked as a cabinetmaker’s assistant in an artist-run workshop where I learned about varieties of wood, and tools of the trade. That’s where I was introduced to the Renaissance-era drawing medium of silverpoint, and have been at it ever since. Many of these techniques and materials held such creative potential that I’ve naturally incorporated them into my artistic expression…

To satisfy my love of line, I use the meditative medium of silverpoint. A silver wire is used to draw on a specially prepared surface. Tones are made by layering and cross-hatchings of silver lines - and much patience. With time, the silver “tarnishes” to its characteristic metallic sepia tone. I prepare fine paper and panels with pale tints of color, mainly gray-blue, gray-green, ocher, and salmon pink.

The wood mosaics that I began creating in the mid-‘90s – using natural woods, gold/aluminum/copper-leaf, colorful dyes, and paint glazes – still intrigues me with its wondrous possibilities. I love experimenting with new shapes and combining materials and textures. My inspiration comes from Nature’s exquisite designs and strong connections to Byzantine art and Asian aesthetics. I approach my work with no set formulas. Intuition guides me, and as it unfolds I become gradually absorbed in the intense flow of creativity.

My studio-workshop is in New Hope, Pennsylvania. My work is in many private collections throughout the USA and beyond. Visit my website also, for a broader view of my work.

Norine Kevolic