Valley artist’s creativity pushes the limit

The idea of Christmas in July is not new, but with a name like Noël Bell, wouldn’t you expect Christmas all year long? The holiday spirit is contagious, somewhat like the unseasonal excitement of creativity.

Bell, a Mat-Su Valley visual artist, is spellbound over “gouache” (pronounced properly, rhymes with squash) and can’t get enough of exploring this particular material as a “resist” substance on paper. In her case, being an artist is conducive to unexpected, captivating urges to push the limit of creativity, while improvising with new materials and techniques — also known as having fun.

The origin of gouache as a somewhat opaque watercolor paint stems back to the 1880s and was used in France. However, the word originates from the Italian word “gauzzo,” meaning “watercolor spray.”

Noël expounds upon the paint properties saying, “Gouache is an opaque watercolor that will ‘sit’ and dry on top of the paper.”

Gouache has more “body, or pigment than most watercolor paints, but that is only part of what intrigues Noël, who is exploring its ability to stick to the paper until held under water.

When asked how an artist would begin this style of painting, Noël explains: “The artist decides on an image or design and draws it lightly with pencil onto heavy, acid-free watercolor paper.”

The same is common for most artists approaching a new project.

Planning and having a vision is also not unique when beginning a new art piece. Noël explains that at this point, “The artist decides what portions of the work … (are) to remain white and paints that with a heavy application of white gouache.”

Further instructions include, “After it has dried the artist takes a wide brush and applies India ink on top of the entire paper, both the areas that have gouache and those that don’t.”

At this point she says the artist “places the paper under running water and washes off the design. The gouache will break down and run off the paper taking the ink that is on top of it, … leaving the areas the artist wanted free of ink.”

The painting is finished when the paper is dry and the artist adds more paint, completing the envisioned creation.

Expanding on this technique, she discusses more innovations in detail.

“I like to pre-paint my gouache paintings,” she said, “applying watercolor first, picking and choosing, as I (decide) what to apply gouache over, adding more paint, more gouache, then adding the ink. For me, the element of fun enters in because there is always a point where I have to say, ‘I wonder what will happen now?’ when I finally apply the ink.”

What makes this process so intriguing, Noël says, is that “every painting is a surprise.”

The career of Noël Bell as an artist has also had many surprises. She went from being a repetitive prize winner at the Alaska State Fair in the late 1990s to being a juror for art competitions at the fair and the local college, and continues to do so when asked.

Another surprise came while displaying in various art exhibits, where she connected with several authors who commissioned her to illustrate books. One she is most proud of is illustrating books two and three of the “Inky the Raven” series for Alaska writer Raven Wi.

Another opportunity presented itself by The Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, Alaska Chapter, which acquired her skills and services for a popular book titled “Wheezin’, Sneezin’ & Itchin’ in Alaska.”

“It is available through the foundation and can be found at pediatric offices” throughout the state, she said. “In addition to providing the illustrations, I was also allowed to design the cover and page layout.”

To her, the task was fun, challenging and rewarding.

“I had the opportunity to see how this information helped the children it was written for when I did a book signing for the foundation,” she said.

The project that tops the list for being unique, according to Noël, is the Interactive 3-D Soil Tunnel for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This fine arts commercial project consisted of working with the local USDA office, along with soil scientists in the office, to help illustrate four 4-foot by 8-foot plywood panels.

The purpose of these panels, painted front and back, was for construction of a tunnel “showing the unique structures of … the major Alaska soil types within the state and … how the fertile soil of the Mat-Su Valley is being lost to development,” Noël said.

For those interested in seeing this exhibit she says, “This tunnel travels throughout the state for educational purposes and has been on display for the last four to five years at the Alaska State Fair in Palmer in the Animal Barn.”

Noël, with a degree in Illustration from Syracuse University in New York, has been teaching art for 14 years either privately or through community schools, joining the Fine Art Department at Mat-Su College teaching the Intermediate Drawing course since 2007. She explains that being a professor “means having a working knowledge of a variety of mediums, pen-and-ink, watercolor, acrylic and knowing which one(s) are best suited for any given project.”

Philosophically, she purports, “Producing art/being an artist will always be who and what I am. Teaching for me isn’t so much an occupation as an avocation.”

Noël also claims great enjoyment in “watching people take information into themselves, roll it around, rearrange it or add it to information they already possess, and then realize a new and unique creation that they can continue working with or evolve to their own satisfaction.”

She says this inclusion “is a privilege I am humbled to be a part of.”

Regarding her avocation, she professes that, “I have always adhered to the belief that being an artist is more about an individual’s desire to be creative than an innate talent that some have and others don’t.”

Further expounding on creativity, she says, “I believe in God, in his creative force, and that we (all of us) being created in that image share that creative drive. Creative talent is part of what defines us as an individual; it is who (we) are.”

Meet the artist 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the opening of her show titled “Light Chasing Shadow” during the Valley Second Saturday events at Primrose Retirement Community’s Gallery A, 889 N. Elkhorn Drive, Wasilla (off Lucille near Nelson). The show runs through Aug. 9.

Suzanne Bach teaches art at Mat-Su College.