Exhibitions

I view my paintings as works of historical fiction. They hold memories of adventures and remnants of dreams, a plumb line to the unconscious.

My motivation to paint stems from a desire to create a space for contemplation and feeling. I tap into dreams, life experiences, and visual memories, distilling them into an encounter both intimate and relatable. For me, successful paintings are expressions of both an inner landscape and a universal experience.

The beauty of abstract paintings lies in their ability to invite you to step in and create meaning. Like open-ended questions, a response is hard to resist.

I hope my paintings offer you a space to wonder and a respite from this busy—nay complicated—world.

 Noel Danforth is an artist and designer based in Cambridge, MA. Captivated by abstraction and abstract figurative painting, Noel draws from her life experiences to inform her work. With a deep love for color and a willingness to take risks, she works intuitively, considering a successful painting one that allows for multiple interpretations. She defines working intuitively as finding a workspace (a flow) inaccessible to the analytical mind.

Noel grew up in the bucolic landscapes of Vermont, where she developed a love for the outdoors and an admiration for the artwork of Sabra Field and Woody Jackson. She appreciated their dramatic simplification of the landscape and interesting use of color. Living in Europe intermittently while growing up, she admired many European painters. In particular, the works of Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, and Edouard Vuillard spoke to her for their bold use of color and imaginative perspectives. Living in Europe ignited her lifelong passion for art and travel.

Having worked as a graphic designer for over 30 years, she finds intriguing compositions everywhere and enjoys using the lens of photography to study the world, especially while travelling. Pilgrimages to places that celebrate their artistic heritage, rich in color, craft, and textiles, have influenced her palettes and shapes.

Working in acrylic and water-based mediums and with an eye developed as a graphic designer, she explores dynamic compositions, creating abstract paintings that invite contemplation and reflection. They also make her heart beat a little faster.