Reno artist Nick Noyes works out of a studio at the Potentialist Workshop, painting with vivid color, bold brush strokes and strong abstract images. He works in oil paint, spray paint, pastels, collage, murals, chalk and sculpture. His themes—some whimsical, others serious—engage the viewer on a variety of levels.
Noyes often uses nature—mountain ranges, daisies or sunflowers—as the focal point of his large canvases. One piece features a large skull backed by a vivid bouquet of flowers.
“Flowers are safe,” Noyes said with a smile. “People relate to them, and everyone loves a skull.”
He is currently focused on portrait painting. Many of his portraits are abstract or impressionist, communicating humor and wonder in a swirl of hues, textures and thought-provoking images.
Noyes names Pablo Picasso as one of his major influences. Many of his portraits mirror Picasso’s Cubist approach—a person’s eyes, mouth and nose, all on the same face, may be on different planes, angled in different directions.
He’s also intrigued by the way the Spanish painter’s career was catalogued into “periods”—a blue period full of melancholy moods and blue paint, followed by a lighter-hearted, warmer-hued “rose period.” It is this “fluidity” of change over the span of an artist’s lifetime that is especially important for Noyes.
“All artists strive to expand on their work as they grow older and build on their talent,” Noyes said. “I’m just trying to find fusion of the different mediums I use. It’s important not to overwork (your art). Overworking can ruin your best stuff without you even knowing it. You have to be able to step away and contemplate the work, thinking first instead of acting on impulse.”
Born in 1990, Noyes would seem to be the quintessential millennial. His generation was the first to be born into a life utilizing social media and the wonders of the internet. Yet as an artist, he’s not particularly technology-dependent. He appreciates Instagram and other social media outlets; they can offer great exposure for artists, but he’s not too tempted by (or worried about) artificial intellogence.
“AI isn’t a threat to my art,” he said. “AI can’t express individual emotions or feelings like artists like me.”
An artist’s life can be demanding. The pressure to create and expand one’s craft can be a large hill to climb. The pressure of selling artwork to pay the bills can be an enormous motivator as well as a harsh mistress. Noyes sees this as a dilemma every artist must confront as the years pass.
Discussing what drives him to continue on this career path, Noyes said: “I don’t have a choice. (I paint) because it’s who I am. It’s what I do.”
Nick Noyes’ solo exhibition Give Me Shelter will be on view at Savage Mystic Art Gallery, now located inside the Potentialist Workshop, at 836 E. Second St., in Reno, from Jan. 1-31. A reception will take place from 6-8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 25. Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Visit www.facebook.com/savagemysticart or www.instagram.com/nickjnoyes for more information