Noelle Kalom

I am interested in the human tendency to find patterns and familiar forms in chaotic and random designs. My creative process is based on this innate impulse and each new painting holds its own path of discovery. I begin by applying thick medium gel to the canvas. Using a palette knife, I add several layers to create a messy, unplanned topographic foundation. Contrasting colors are brushed on to emphasize the nuances of the textured surface, and at this point pumice, beads or other media is often incorporated into the mix. It is through this process of layering that I begin to detect and highlight recognizable shapes and human features that form the painting’s composition. What slowly emerges is an abstract landscape in intense and shifting colors that reflect canyons, mountain ridges, rivers, and fields. In a nod to my passion for maps, the final painting invites the viewer to find their own path through this unknown territory.