A long, long, time ago, in a far away place, I began to imagine.
Fantasyscape 51" x 33"
Some time ago, say mid 1980's, on my way home from work I picked up a discarded log with a big knot on it. I was a carpenter, building interiors in new homes near Houston, Tx. I had taken this job as a young man seeking to provide an income for my family while doing something that I like. I took it home and cut the knot into a 6"x6"x12" piece of wood, then sliced it into about 54 thin slices 6"x6". I was fascinated by laying out the pieces, book matching them to see the patterns of the swirling grain. I was going to make "something" with them, when I had time and figured out what I wanted to make.
Near the end of 2017, one day I walked into my shop, dusted off those thin slices, and started to arrange the pieces as if I somehow now knew where they belonged and what they would become. My only goal was to create something of beauty, that I could hang on the wall and enjoy.
This was the beginning of a new found joy in my life. For nearly 40 years I had enjoyed my job as a self employed cabinet maker and woodcraftsman, but all of the work I had done, however plain or ornate, cabinets or furniture, always had to serve some practical functional purpose. This piece was the first time that I made something with no purpose other than to look pretty.
Daniel Noack
Some time ago, say mid 1980's, on my way home from work I picked up a discarded log with a big knot on it. I was a carpenter, building interiors in new homes near Houston, Tx. I had taken this job as a young man seeking to provide an income for my family while doing something that I like. I took it home and cut the knot into a 6"x6"x12" piece of wood, then sliced it into about 54 thin slices 6"x6". I was fascinated by laying out the pieces, book matching them to see the patterns of the swirling grain. I was going to make "something" with them, when I had time and figured out what I wanted to make.
Near the end of 2017, one day I walked into my shop, dusted off those thin slices, and started to arrange the pieces as if I somehow now knew where they belonged and what they would become. My only goal was to create something of beauty, that I could hang on the wall and enjoy.
This was the beginning of a new found joy in my life. For nearly 40 years I had enjoyed my job as a self employed cabinet maker and woodcraftsman, but all of the work I had done, however plain or ornate, cabinets or furniture, always had to serve some practical functional purpose. This piece was the first time that I made something with no purpose other than to look pretty.
Daniel Noack
"Somewhere Out There"
This piece is 39" x 23"
When I sliced up this knot of wood and began playing with the arrangement of the slices on my table, they reminded me of some of the landscape pictures of the eroded pillars in Utah's Red Canyon. I have not traveled much outside of Texas and Louisiana, but I often travel by web to take in nature's awe inspiring places. Hubble telescope photos also stir my imagination which takes me to places like "Somewhere Out There".
It is fun to try and capture the beauty that I see or imagine in my art.
Daniel Noack
" Day Two "
This piece is 60" x 25"
One day I hope to travel to a destination where I will be able to take in the full awe inspiring beauty of the Northern Lights. Watching the Aurora Borealis on my computer screen only gives me a glimpse of what the real show must be like. Even still photos inspire me. " Day Two " began with my feeble experiment to try and capture on canvas (actually wood), this beauty. It was elusive to say the least, on this attempt. As I progressed working I was only frustrated with the mess that I was making. After adding the wood foreground I stepped back and looked at the mess that I had just made. Now, the image sparked my imagination of what earth may have looked like in day two of Genesis. The earth was formless and empty in day one, my imagination reasoned that the earth and sky being newly separated when God went to work on Day Two, could have looked like this.
What an awesome experience that would have been, to actually be there from Day One and watch him work!
Daniel Noack
p.s. God is in the details
This piece is 60" x 25"
One day I hope to travel to a destination where I will be able to take in the full awe inspiring beauty of the Northern Lights. Watching the Aurora Borealis on my computer screen only gives me a glimpse of what the real show must be like. Even still photos inspire me. " Day Two " began with my feeble experiment to try and capture on canvas (actually wood), this beauty. It was elusive to say the least, on this attempt. As I progressed working I was only frustrated with the mess that I was making. After adding the wood foreground I stepped back and looked at the mess that I had just made. Now, the image sparked my imagination of what earth may have looked like in day two of Genesis. The earth was formless and empty in day one, my imagination reasoned that the earth and sky being newly separated when God went to work on Day Two, could have looked like this.
What an awesome experience that would have been, to actually be there from Day One and watch him work!
Daniel Noack
p.s. God is in the details
"Wooden Sunset"
I didn't record the dimensions, maybe 60" x 36" ?
As a cabinetmaker, my day job, I handle hundreds to thousands of sheets of plywood every year. Make tens of thousands of cuts. Through the years my eyes look over millions of square inches of lumber, scanning for defects and grain character. This one particular sheet of 1/4" maple ( bought as paint grade plywood ) caught my eye with it's rays of curly grain cascading across it. It got set aside that day. I immediately envisioned those rays popping out of the 2D surface as rays of sunlight! I wanted to build depth. A log that I had recently sliced, revealed it's own unique landscape scene, reminding me of a desert. Some leftover odd shaped slices from another looked like mountains to me. ( They look like ducks to someone else that I know ) The frame had to be from some antique oak left over from yet another cabinet job. Aniline dyes poured out across the skies provided the beautiful sunset colors. Filling the picture inside of the frame with clear epoxy resin to flatten the 3/4" deep scene, leaving just a portion of the "mountains" breaking the surface. I don't know if this classifies as 2D or 3D art, but at the end of the day I saw that it was good.
Daniel Noack
" Sunset "
44' x 37"
" Sunset " might be better named " Suns Set ". It actually came before " Wooden Sunset ", the background canvas was from the same sheet of plywood. I used the same dyes, but I was still in extraterrestrial mode. With the top layer of wood I found pieces that had decay and wormholes that took me to another planet where 2 suns were setting. I did use yellow glow pigments in the 2 suns before pouring the epoxy in the frame. Those 2 suns never completely set.
Daniel Noack
" Milky Way "
This piece was the 4th in this series of wall art. It is 41" x 24".
It all began with me wanting to make picture frames. I planned a series of frames that would be "art" themselves. I get bored with the same ol' same ol'. For months, I had been writing down ideas for frames, when and as they popped into my mind. " Milky Way " was one of those ideas. Well, at least the frame was. New to learning and experimenting with pouring clear epoxy, this project tried my patience in ways never before experienced on this planet! Numerous failures occurred throughout the process. In the end, I refused to accept failure. I believe that I haven't failed until I quit trying!
Daniel Noack
This piece was the 4th in this series of wall art. It is 41" x 24".
It all began with me wanting to make picture frames. I planned a series of frames that would be "art" themselves. I get bored with the same ol' same ol'. For months, I had been writing down ideas for frames, when and as they popped into my mind. " Milky Way " was one of those ideas. Well, at least the frame was. New to learning and experimenting with pouring clear epoxy, this project tried my patience in ways never before experienced on this planet! Numerous failures occurred throughout the process. In the end, I refused to accept failure. I believe that I haven't failed until I quit trying!
Daniel Noack
" Redwood, Turquoise, Love "
Breaking from the art that I have posted so far, that hangs on the wall.
This piece is 18" high x 23" x 37"
This, I do believe is classified as art also. This is where I am comfortable, at home.
" Redwood, Turquoise, Love " was promised to a good friend 40 years ago. I just made good on that promise. Sorry, Jami, that it took so long. No reflection on our friendship, it just took me that long to decide on something special enough for you! Hope you enjoy it for the next 40 years.
Daniel Noack
Breaking from the art that I have posted so far, that hangs on the wall.
This piece is 18" high x 23" x 37"
This, I do believe is classified as art also. This is where I am comfortable, at home.
" Redwood, Turquoise, Love " was promised to a good friend 40 years ago. I just made good on that promise. Sorry, Jami, that it took so long. No reflection on our friendship, it just took me that long to decide on something special enough for you! Hope you enjoy it for the next 40 years.
Daniel Noack
" Blue Water Blue Sky "
The antique oak frame I made, then searched for something to put in it.
The antique oak frame I made, then searched for something to put in it.
May 4, 2017 while scrolling thru Instagram, I ran across this beautiful, simple photo. The composition was simple, I saw white, blue, and pastel green. Nope, turns out "there is 476 shades of blue".
I was inspired to try and recreate this scene. I know wood, I am an admirer of those who can paint. Surely, I can pull off a simple painting as this. Well, this is the results of my efforts. Thanks Aimee, for the inspiring photo and a lesson in painting.
Daniel Noack
I was inspired to try and recreate this scene. I know wood, I am an admirer of those who can paint. Surely, I can pull off a simple painting as this. Well, this is the results of my efforts. Thanks Aimee, for the inspiring photo and a lesson in painting.
Daniel Noack
