Noreen Sadue

Noreen Sadue... art teacher and photographer A Personal Awareness of the World...an Artist Statement
To teach photography is to encourage others to view the world differently, to develop an awareness of not just looking, but actually seeing, even the smallest things. Taking photographs encourages us to take notice of patterns, shapes and textures. It provides an opportunity to explore and be imaginative. Through this medium we are able to capture images of places, people, and events.		Photographs can tell a story, capture a moment, evoke an emotion, or leave room for interpretation by the viewer. My work as a photographer reveals my own personal awareness of the world around me, of the beauty I find in my subject matter. As an artist, I am comfortable exploring different media and find one will often influence how I work with another. Most of my recent photographs have been manipulated digitally, sometimes in a painterly way using various tools, while others involve the use of layers to merge together multiple images.
The preparation of the canvas, the act of painting, the final presentation are all part of the process. My paintings consist of many layers. This technique allows the image slowly to emerge, changing moment to moment. There are subtle shifts in color and shape as the painting evolves, and when the final layer is applied, the result is a sense of satisfaction.	I have always found painting to be meditative.	Painting allows me to infuse various colors into my images where I want, sometimes suggesting an overall warm or cool feeling in the work, or creating a contrast of both. My work is often small in size, inviting the viewer to move in closer for the experience. Just as one might feel enveloped by a very large painting, there is a sense of intimacy involved when viewing these works, an up close and personal encounter with the work.
As I interpret the world around me, I am drawn to nature and her elements. The lines, shapes , and colors of the landscape, as well as the minute yet extraordinary details of natural objects, such as stones, leaves, and wood. These objects, which reveal a beauty so often overlooked, continue to provide me with a rich source of inspiration.		I present to the viewer works that reveal subtle beauties, not to be seen through my eyes, but rather, to invoke a sense of wonderment and awareness that will encourage you to look more closely and truly see natural beauty in its simplest form. My strong reverence for the earth and its tremendous beauty continues to influence my creative process.
Spending time outside, whether it is in my garden or deep in the woods, allows me to maintain a sense of balance. As my artistic journey continues, I take notice of the changes in my life, and I have come to realize more completely the connection between the artist's response and creative expression.		Solitude, I have found, is an extraordinary gift I have come to appreciate on a daily basis. It is often a time to remind myself of the importance of being present in the moment, to acknowledge the incredible beauty which surrounds us. My images are of places and objects that have captured my attention and inspired me as an artist along the way, in my pursuit of finding solitude.