NEWFANE-Moore Free Library, 23 West St., will present a variety of art work by Nora Daniel through Oct. 29.
The show, "Think Ink!," is an exhibit of ink drawings and paintings that vary between the relatively realistic and the more expressive, with a few watercolor pieces.
For decades, Daniel has been doing these ink pieces with subjects ranging from people to animals, landscapes, and more.
The show underscores "the idea of the importance of carrying a sketchbook with you and drawing whenever you can," says Daniel, calling her work "a form of visual journaling, as well as staying connected to art and expression and creativity."
"I love the balance between something that is relatively representational and the abstract, that balance I think keeps things interesting," she says.
Daniel explains how this form of art leaves a lot to the imagination.
"I like the interaction between the viewer and the work, and the possibility that imaginative interpretation can be stimulated through artwork," she said.
A filled sketchbook
"I was one of the lucky ones who was encouraged from a young age to create," says Daniel, an alumna of The Putney School and Marlboro College.
Daniel was born and raised in New York City but has been living in Vermont since 1984.
"I love Vermont, and I feel at home here," said Daniel, who has also traveled around the world.
She has shown extensively over the years, including at Forbes Galleries in New York City, Columbus Museum of Art, and a solo show at the Zanesville Museum of Art in Ohio. Daniel also participated in the 2023 Biennial Juried Exhibition at the Riffe Gallery in Columbus, Ohio.
How to fill the blank pages
Daniel will continue to work on the larger-than-life-size paintings that take years to complete, keep drawing on a sketchpad at the ready, and continue working on watercolor, a new medium.
"Watercolor is more challenging with - obviously - the element of color," she says - especially with its transparency.
For anyone looking to start this genre of art, Daniel has a bit of advice: Let go of outcomes.
"In painting, we say we need to paint miles of canvas before we get kind of good at something," she says, but notes that "things can come out great - especially [if you are] untrained, especially if you're open to the abstract, and you let go of outcomes."
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To follow Nora Daniel and see more of her artwork on Instagram, follow her at @noravdaniel.
Paintings on display will be available for purchase.
The Crowell Art Gallery is part of the Moore Free Library at 23 West St., Newfane. Library and gallery hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Thursday, 1 to 6 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This Arts item by Alyssa Grosso was written for The Commons.