IVF as Art

As someone who experienced many challenges with regard to fertility, I was inspired to find a way to honor my experience and journey using my fine art and I’d like to share that with you in this post.

While I realize it’s a unique experience for each person who goes through using medically supported means of conceiving a child, IVF and everything leading up to it was both physically and mentally challenging for our family, required a significant financial investment and took a tremendous amount of time and energy.  

For those of us who are fortunate enough to have success with the process, it is truly awesome to witness the results unfold in front of our eyes.

Creating and displaying this art piece felt like a way to honor our journey and to focus on what was beautiful about it, rather than let the challenges take center stage.  

I created a piece of my own daughter’s beginning stages as mere cells before we transferred her as an embryo. I included colors that I wanted to incorporate into my nursery and symbolism that felt meaningful. I look forward to being able to show my daughter the very beginning stages of her life interpreted in this way.

The piece shown is 30x40 bees wax, resin, pigments, photography on birch panel.

I am extremely passionate about creating this commissioned art for parents who went through IVF to conceive a child. 

The IVF art I am creating for clients is inspired by the journey and the magic of being able to see imagery of your child as just a few cells. This is just incredible to me.

In addition to the reward of a baby, this art piece felt cathartic to make and also to display on my daughter’s nursery wall. 

I’d love to talk to you about creating an IVF art piece for you, so email me or call with questions about the process and investment. 

Warmly, 

Norah

Nursery Art

Ideally, you’ll want your baby’s nursery to make you feel good when you enter it. When you look at what you’ve chosen to display on the walls, it should bring a smile to your face and warmth to your heart. The items on the walls should be a representation of love, inspiration and in some way, shape, or form, signify all the goodness and love you wish for your new baby. This representation can take place in many forms, but my suggestions in this post involve how to best use photographs and fine art pieces to elevate your nursery’s vibes.

 

Leaving room for growth with Photo Galleries

•Consider using photo ledges or floating shelves to display framed pieces. Lean the pieces against the wall, and thoughtfully mix artwork and photographs together. “Loose” artwork that isn’t nailed to the wall can leave room to add, switch out and move around artwork without having to worry about holes left in walls or taking the time to mount them (just make sure that they are safely away from baby's reach!).

•Use standard frame sizes. Frames that are standard sizes that can be changed out easily through the years, giving you the freedom to update artwork if you are limited with regard to wall real estate.

•Wall galleries are a great option!  Wall galleries are any arrangement of multiple pieces and can be the same size or a variation of sizes. This approach can leave tons of room to add onto later with updated photos of baby when the little nugget makes his or her entrance. I especially love asymmetrical wall galleries. This arrangement of imagery can potentially be moved to a hallway, stairway, or another room if and when you want to update baby’s room.

 

 

 

Keep it personal or meaningful to you when possible

•Art that you purchased while traveling or during a special event

•Special keepsakes

•Photographs from a maternity or couples session

•Fine Art pieces

•Consider Including images of siblings (human and/or fur babies) where possible

Fine art

(30x30 bees wax, resin, pigments, photography on birch panel SOLD)

(8x8 bees wax, resin, pigments, photography on birch panel)

•Nature inspired Art. Art based on nature always stands the test of time! Animal themed art can be truly stunning and will surely add a warm feeling to any nursery I am so excited to now be offering these art pieces that can be customized with colors that will perfectly align with your nursery’s colors.  

•Custom Fine Art for IVF Parents. My husband and I ended up going to the IVF (Invitro Fertilization) route in order to conceive our baby girl. Having gone through this incredibly difficult but amazing process, I was inspired to start creating encaustic artwork for IVF parents based on embryos of their babies. My encaustic work is comprised of beeswax, resin, pigments, photography on panels, and more information can be found here. 

The idea that we got to see imagery of our baby girl when she was literally a few cells is mind blowing. I loved creating this fine art piece for her nursery to honor this journey and I can’t wait to create more custom fine art for IVF parents to honor their journey. This art piece will stand the test of time and serve as a very meaningful heirloom for our daughter. 

The wonderful thing about including fine art in the nursery is that if you want to change the room around at some point, your fine art can be easily displayed in another room in the home!

(30x40 bees wax, resin, pigments, photography on birch panel)

There you go! I hope these tips are valuable to you and that you enjoy the process of creatively preparing for your baby’s arrival.

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Showcasing My Encaustic Paintings at Convergence Gallery

I’ve been expanding my creative efforts over the last few years and have been so grateful for the opportunities that have come my way as a result of listening and responding to what inspires me.

I am extremely excited to announce that my work is now available at a beautiful Art gallery located on the world-renowned Canyon Road in sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico! Convergence Gallery is a stunning space and I am honored to have some of my artwork adorn its walls. 

You can view the current selection of work on their website or better yet, plan a trip to Santa Fe and stop in and see the work for yourself. I believe that viewing art in person is always the best way to really get a proper sense of how it might resonate with you.

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 Interior images of Convergence Gallery, Santa Fe, NM. Photos courtesy of Convergence Gallery.

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When I started combining my photography with the medium of encaustic I didn’t have any idea as to where it would take me. I knew that I needed to give myself permission to begin and see what developed from there. I am so glad that I did! I’m now experiencing the next stage with showcasing these works of art for others to enjoy and my hope is that they find new homes to be loved and appreciated. 

About Norah’s art:

Norah’s work currently incorporates the medium of encaustic (bee’s wax and resin), oil pigment stick, pigments and embedded photography. Her pieces are comprised of many layers of these materials that are fused together with a torch or heat gun. She thoughtfully and intuitively scrapes, incises, etches and paints the colors and textures and layers to create her final product. Her pieces draw inspiration from her photography, and each original photograph influences the colors, textures and markings that Norah includes in the final piece.  

"Rise and Shine" 24x24 bees wax, resin, pigments, embedded photography on birch panel.

"Potential" 24x24 bees wax, resin, pigments, embedded photography on birch panel.

These pieces are available through Convergence Gallery here. 

The Process Behind my Encaustic Paintings

For the last few years I have expanded my creative world and started working with encaustic painting, which incorporates my photographic imagery. I started by working on a smaller scale and have begun working on larger pieces. I have shared a little about this journey along the way and I intend to expand as my experiences with this art form continue. Since many people are curious, I want to detail a bit about my process and what inspires me about working in this medium. 

My fine art incorporates the medium of encaustic, pigments, and embedded photographic imagery on birch panels. The encaustic medium is comprised of bees wax and resin and I apply it in many layers along with the other materials. Using a rigid support, each layer is fused together with a heat gun or torch so it combines with the layer before it. One of the many unique qualities of encaustic is the possibility of transparency between the layers, giving the viewer of the artwork a glimpse into the “history” of the artists markings, scrapings, painting, and other creative choices below the surface. You get to see, in effect, the process of the artist, which I love.

Encaustic painting has been around for many years and there are multiple ways to work with it. This is an incredibly versatile medium that is used differently by each artist. Some artists love to work in thick layers with lots of texture and some even use it sculpturally. The wax can be painted, dripped, brushed or poured in hot liquid form onto the piece. As the wax cools, it hardens but doesn’t need to dry. The material can be incised, scraped, melted and remelted, carved and more. I am very much drawn to creating a smooth surface that highlights the beautiful sheen of the wax after it is buffed. I sometimes choose to include texture, but my preference is that this texture is a meaningful compliment to the imagery and piece as a whole. My photographic image is printed and layered into the wax very carefully with a tacking iron and layered with additional medium and sometimes paint. I love giving new life to images that would otherwise stay dormant on my computer. 

I began working with photography many years ago in a darkroom, rolling and developing my own film and enlarging prints. Although technological advances have dramatically shifted the world of photography, I fell in love with the hands-on process of developing my own photographs. While I appreciate and love digital photography and all that can be accomplished on a computer, a few years ago I found myself yearning for an outlet to work with my hands again.  I am continuing my career as a photographer but am expanding to include fine art as well. 

My process is very physical and working with encaustic can be difficult during the hot summer weather in Austin, Texas.  The process can take a lot of patience and requires a proper ventilation system and sometimes a (not so sexy) face mask to protect me from dangerous fumes.  I find it incredibly satisfying using my hands in this way and find myself continuing to be pulled back into my art studio. I am inspired by so many artists, but one artist who has very much impacted my journey is Shawna Moore, a prolific artist based out of Whitefish, Montana. 

I look forward to continuing to create this work and travel along this path. I am currently accepting commissions from both my own photography as well as imagery that is provided by my clients.

To see more of my work, visit my website and follow along on Instagram for current projects. 

Thank you to my dear friend Amy Smith for all photographs in this post.  Amy can be found on Instagram at @amyrsmithphoto.

The Best Local Art in Austin, Texas

Are you searching for new pieces to begin a stunning collection of fine art, or are you curating an ever growing collection?

*"Rise" 24x24 beeswax, resin, pigments, photography on birch panel. 2017. SOLD

Perhaps you're casually seeking pieces that speak to you? Austin is a great place to begin your search for stunning local art. It has such an eclectic and vibrant art scene, mirroring the rich culture of the city itself. The area has become a national powerhouse, and it is no surprise that many artists pick Austin as their home. As one of  the most unique and diverse cities in the world, you’re sure to find something locally that fits your taste!

The number of galleries in the city continues to grow, and these serve as a great local source for stunning pieces. I’ve highlighted some of my favorites below:

CAMIBAart

CAMIBAart has two galleries and focuses on exhibiting artwork of established artists alongside emerging talent. The curation specializes in concept driven contemporary art with a focus on materials, an emphasis on the quality of craft, and an attention to detail.

Russell Collection Fine Art Gallery

This gallery has assembled a collection of approximately 100 pieces that span the history of art. In addition to this permanent collection, the gallery consistently highlights new works from contemporary artists.

Art on Fifth

For almost two decades, Art on Fifth has curated a mix of local Texas national and international artists.  It is currently Austin’s largest contemporary gallery, with a rotation of over 40 artists alongside many traveling exhibits.  Art on Fifth also showcases original contemporary works that don’t fit any genre, so if you are looking for a unique piece, this is the place to start.

Capital Fine Art

Capital Fine Art specializes in prominent contemporary artists and important estate pieces. A small sample can be found online here.

Women & Their Work

This nationally recognized gallery has been around for almost 40 years, and has actively developed the careers of more than 1,800 artists. The gallery has pieces available for purchase, and a small sample can be found here.

Flatbed Press & Gallery

Flatbed Press was established almost 20 years ago and is located in East Austin near the University of Texas at Austin. While Flatbed Press is a publishing workshop that produces limited editions of artists’ work, Flatbed Gallery is a private art gallery that specializes in original prints. Flatbed Gallery is home to many great artists and works.

Gallery Shoal Creek

Gallery Shoal Creek has been a major player in Austin’s art scene. Founded over five decades ago, they have continued to grow, adapt, and focus on a cohesive range of art. One can find unique styles, as contemporary work meets traditional forms in paintings, works on paper, and three-dimensional installations.

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What are some of your favorite sources for local art?

Commissioned Fine Art by Norah Levine

I’ve been paying close attention to what fills me up as a creative person, and right now, that fulfillment is showing up in some exciting new ways. As you may have noticed, fine art has become a greater piece of my practice as an artist. I have been creating mixed media art pieces (combining photography and painting with beeswax and resin), which have sold to individuals in Texas, New Mexico, Illinois, beyond. I have been encouraged by the response to my work and continue to dive into the studio as much as I can to keep exploring. View some of my custom fine art pieces online HERE.

Art and the investing in art is very personal, which is why I want to get my clients involved in the process. After receiving several requests, I have decided to start offering Commissioned Fine Art! I love working with my hands to give photographs a unique environment of colors and textures in which to live. The commissioned art experience gives clients the opportunity to be involved in the creation of an art piece that truly fits their home and heart.

My Commissioned Fine Art is now offered as an a la carte option from new and previous portrait sessions, or even from your own photographs (these must be reviewed first to make sure the photographs will provide stunning results). Ten percent of every sale is also donated to an animal welfare non-profit!

The more I photograph and connect with people, the more I realize how important it is for what we surround ourselves with to be personal and meaningful. I’m so excited to get started working on these pieces and collaborating with my clients in a different way.

As the holidays approach, you may want to start thinking about a unique gift for someone you love, or for yourself!

This Commissioned Artwork is perfect for many different settings, including:

• Ranch Home Décor
• Home Redecorating
• New Home or Office
• Memorializing a Beloved Pet
• Restaurant/Business Décor
• Beautiful, Personalized Gifts
• Baby’s Nursery
• Honoring a Loved One

Contact me directly to find out more about commissioning a fine art piece! To view more of my fine art pieces, please feel free to browse my Instagram gallery. 

Small Animal and Nature Art for Sale in my Shop

Happy Holiday Season! How did this time arrive so quickly? If you're looking for ideas for small sized, unique art, I invite you to give the gift of my photo encaustic pieces! These pieces are hand made and part of a numbered edition. No two are exactly the same.  Order by December 15th to receive art in time for Christmas.

I love creating this work and I am thankful for the positive response I have received. My work was recently featured in HGTV's 2015 Smarthome in Austin and is for sale in person at Mockingbird Domestics on South Lamar in Austin, Tx. 10% of the sale from each piece goes to animal welfare causes.

I'm looking forward to creating more art in 2015! View my SHOP