A quick look at the front windows
Corner Gallery Ukiah
Featured Young Artist
Norea Israel
Young Artist for Corner Gallery October/November 2022
By Laura Fogg
Calling Norea Israel a classical painter is an understatement. She will be hanging a large oil painting, a master copy of "The First Mourning" by William-Adolph Bouguereau, which is almost indistinguishable from the original.
Norea is a 24-year-old artist from Willits CA. She studied art in San Francisco for a year out of high-school, then travelled abroad to study fine art in Italy. She is currently taking a painting class at Mendocino college for fun, while working on her own paintings at home in her studio.
When it comes to oil painting, Norea describes herself as "self-taught." She explains her experiences with art, "I starting painting at the age of three, copying various artists' works. My dad was always a role model for me when it came to art. In fact he recreated the painting " The First Mourning" when he was my age, in his 20's, and we had it hanging on our wall for as long as I could remember.
As a child I would sit on the floor and admire the painting, hoping to be as good as my dad one day. This artwork that I admired so much burned in a wildfire that took my family's home. So that's why I wanted to recreate the artwork, for my dad."
Today Norea is influenced by oil painters William-Adolphe Bougurough, John-William Waterhouse and various other artists that specialize in realism and figurative work. Her favorite medium to use is oil paint, but she enjoys charcoal as well. Elaborating, she says, "I enjoy oil painting the most because of the quality of work it can produce and the skill it takes to use the medium. I am always interested in trying new ways to create art, and different mediums."
Referring to her large painting in the show, Norea explains, "I chose this piece because it has a lot of meaning to me. It took me a year to paint working on it off and on, and I finished the painting a year ago in 2021. Its meaning to me doesn't come from what the original artist is trying to say in the painting, but from the impact it had on me from a young age, and the ties it has to my dad. I recreated it for my dad as a gesture to tell him thank you for always encouraging me to follow my art dreams."
Norea has art in her vision for her future. "I have been commissioned to do several drawings and paintings throughout my art career. My plans for the future include creating and selling more art."