We were lucky to catch up with Norah Levine recently and have shared our conversation below.

Norah , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

My “knowing” of when I wanted to spend time pursuing a fine art path wasn’t dramatic or sudden. It showed up as a quiet, subtle whisper. I’d been in the creative arts for many years as a portrait photographer and educator and loved it.

Creating has always been a part of me but pursuing a fine art career felt like a big leap in many ways. I held on tightly to the identity I had worked so hard to build for myself as a portrait photographer.

The “whispers” led me to an understanding that I was missing the element of working with my hands and that there was a void present without the experience of creating in a studio environment with physical materials. I made this transition very slowly over several years. The more of me I allowed to be allocated to fine art the more I realized it was a path I needed to explore. My experiences as a portrait photographer empowered me as I honored the artist within me and continue to do so as I navigate this part of me. I have always been a creative being and this is a new embodiment of that creativity for which I am grateful.

Norah , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a mixed media visual artist based in Austin Texas, creating primarily through the mediums of encaustic and photography. I approach my work from a place of curiosity and wonder and am strongly influenced by the beauty of nature, animals and my daily meditation practice. I have vivid memories of spending time in nature as a little girl observing animals and other natural elements. Now that I am a mother, I find vast inspiration from the way my daughter sees the world and her ability to be fully present in each moment. Her presence has caused me to slow down and reconnect with that time I spent in nature as a little girl. This shift in perspective invites me to look deeply into what or who is in front of me and create art in response.

My work honors the creatures within each piece through a distinctive process. I dedicate time and space to each animal, to each element of nature in its uniqueness. I begin with photographing these elements in their natural habitats. The image(s) are then carefully embedded into layers of pigmented wax medium (beeswax, resin and pigments). The wax is applied in hot liquid form by brush, heated pen, manipulated with a heated iron or poured directly as liquid. Each layer is then fused together with a torch and scraped with a razor blade. I often fill the markings and etchings in the wax with oil pigment which reveals a “history” of the blade manipulations. Through thoughtful use of color, materials, and composition, I create a newly imagined, dreamlike place where these creatures live.

Creating is a meditative and nourishing process, and my meditation practice has noticeably influenced my work on an aesthetic level. As with meditation, in art there is a pausing and observing component. Each step of the process invites opportunities for me to be present. Even the initial application of the wax base layers onto the panel offers this opportunity for mindfulness. As I add this foundation for the painting, I am drawn to the tactile experience of hot wax making its way onto the panel with each brush stroke. When I am making aesthetic decisions, I need to find stillness and feel intuitively into which color palette feels peaceful and soothing to look at and which types of movements I want my brush strokes to make. The sensual, tactile process of creating and blending colors allows me to be in the present.

I encourage viewers to experience the work closely. When viewed intimately the many layers of process in each piece are visible. These layers of luminous wax, resin and pigment reveal the story of the work. My work marries the mediums of encaustic and photography to create a symbiotic relationship between the two. The work invites the viewer to take in the piece as a whole and creates a shared experience of centeredness and peace, and shifts the energy of a space.

What problems to I solve for my clients? I provide reminders of joy, wonder, imagination and calm in my art. These are mind states we all wish to have in our lives, even if only momentarily. My art serves as a reminder of our capacity to experience these feelings.

What sets me apart from others? Each artist brings their own life and career experiences into their art. My years of visual training as a photographer provides a unique perspective on the way I use color, composition, gesture and subject matter. My eye has been trained with a focus on detail and I have been told that this is demonstrated in the craftsmanship of my work.

I am a deeply feeling person and my art is created with sincere intention and positive energy. It is my hope that this translates into the work and benefits its viewers.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Being in a flow state is the most rewarding aspect of being a creative. Being so focused, in the moment, that I lose time and a sense of self, is a gift. As someone whose brain seems to have a million thoughts a second, this pause offers a welcomed reprieve. In moments of flow I am not concerned about what happened yesterday, what’s happening tomorrow or whether the painting will sell. I am in a way outside of myself… almost an observer of the moment.

Of course, I love the validation of selling work and making money with my work. I’d be lying if I said otherwise, but really, the best part is the making of it. When I get caught up in concerns about the other “stuff” I try to remind myself of this truth.

I feel much more centered as a mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend and general human when I am consistently creating.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I waited until later in life to have a child and I was fortunate enough to become a mother after a long journey. Being a mother has caused me to pivot in every sense of the word. I couldn’t have imagined my heart taking the leap it did into loving another person so deeply and how much it would require me to shift in every way.

I have pivoted in the ways I spend time and energy on my work, my art, my relationships, my body, everything. I have learned and continue to learn how to expect the unexpected. I have been taught through this experience that I am able to live life creatively even in the times I am not able to physically create in the ways I want. I have been given the opportunity to redefine and continue to redefine what is important to me as I navigate art making and motherhood. Through all of this pivoting, I have gained more and more clarity on the vital role making art has in my life.

I see that this time period and my role as a mother has impacted my work in several ways. I find that I am now more open than ever creatively, my imagination has been revived and my motivation increased. To be clear, however, the adjustments that have been made have often coincided with my resistance to change… it has not (and likely will never) be easy, but deeply valuable and meaningful.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.norahlevine.com
• Instagram: @norahlevine