April 2016: Patrick Noe

Patrick Noe creates terra-cotta paintings. He uses clay as his canvas and ceramic underglazes as the medium with which he paints. His work often depicts simple village scenes and vignettes taken from photographs of his travels. In making his contemporary series, he draws fluid lines onto a clay slab and, when dry, paints them with colorful stains and underglazes. These ceramic colors when fired are matt, soft, warm and natural, and very different from oil and acrylic painting. His traditional bas relief work employs woodcuts and sculpture to create dramatic detail and his meticulous painting bring his imagery to life. Noe’s choice of clay and the processes he has developed result in beautiful, warm, tactile works of art.