A LEAP OF FAITHE
For Faithe Norrell, the journey back into the art world was a leap of faith. Faithe first started painting for her sister as a thank-you. “My sister let me move in with her after college, so I painted a variety of pieces to decorate her apartment from furniture, to murals, to tapestries.” Faithe says this eventually led to her first wearable art collection.
Faithe prefers to keep her subject matter varied: her body of work consists of still life and cityscapes, figure drawing and abstracts. When approaching her artwork, Faithe likes to think counter-intuitively. “I prefer asymmetry and being less technical. I complete the work by adding black detailing for definition. This, as well as the use of vivid colors, are the essence of my signature style.”
Faithe prefers juxtaposition of color and balance in her artworks, inspired by masters like Picasso and Romare Bearden. “I love adding texture in paintings, in fact most of my paintings have three to four layers. By using acrylic I’m able to build and blend to achieve my final result.” Faithe is currently working on a series of bridge landscapes, and a jazz line of both paintings and wearable art.
Of her greatest inspirations, Faithe says she is most inspired by her family and faith. “One of my best art critics is my daughter, she has such a great eye.” As for her faith, she laughs saying that “it was really a 180 for me.” Despite her name, Faithe recalls having little faith in her youth. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith that my artwork will turn out how I imagine.”
It turns out, that leap of faith has paid off.