By
Noel Hefele
Piece description from the artist
This evocative oil painting captures the serene beauty and hidden ecological struggle of Van Cortlandt Park's Hester and Piero's Mill Pond. The artist skillfully renders a tranquil landscape where lush greenery meets reflective waters, inviting viewers into a moment of natural harmony. However, beneath the surface lies a poignant environmental narrative.
The painting subtly depicts the invasion of water chestnut, an aquatic plant threatening the pond's delicate ecosystem. Areas of murky green break the water's mirror-like surface, hinting at the ongoing battle between native species and this tenacious invader. This artwork not only showcases the park's picturesque scenery but also serves as a testament to the artist's dedication to conservation efforts in the area.
Clouds drift lazily across a vibrant blue sky, their forms echoed in the partially obscured water below. The interplay of light and shadow adds depth to the scene, creating a dynamic visual experience that changes with each viewing. In the distance, hints of urban life peek through the treeline, reminding us of the vital role these green spaces play in our cities.
This piece is a call to environmental awareness and a celebration of community action. It invites viewers to reflect on the beauty of our urban parks and the importance of preserving these natural havens for future generations.
Noel Hefele is a talented landscape painter with a diverse background in the arts. Born and raised in Norwalk, Connecticut, he received his BFA from Carnegie Mellon University in 2002 and later earned a MA in Arts and Ecology from a school in England. Throughout his career, Noel has had the opportunity to exhibit his work internationally and has pieces in numerous private collections. He has also served on the board of the non-profit community arts organization PLGarts in Brooklyn, New York and co-teaches a graduate course at Brooklyn College called Human Tracks in the Urban Landscape. In 2013 and 2014, Noel was the Artist in Residence at the Barbuda Archeological Research center in the Caribbean.
Currently, Noel resides and works in the Bronx, New York where he is in the process of exploring Van Cortlandt Park and creating a new body of work. As an artist, Noel believes in the power of art to help us move towards a more responsible and holistic understanding of the environment. He sees the landscape as an entangled field of relationships that includes humans, animals, plants, minerals, and more, and believes that by viewing the non-human world as more than just objects, we can take responsibility for our impact on the planet and recognize that we are not the sole subjects of the Earth's narrative. Through his art, Noel aims to collaborate with the landscape in order to produce effects in himself and others, aesthetically and emotionally reconfiguring the way we see the world.
For more information and to see more of Noel's work, visit www.facebook.com/NoelHefeleStudios.
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