26 - Lendon Noe
Spring is in full bloom with the tip of summer right in the mix. I can’t say I miss winter. Ever since moving to the UK, winters have hit harder and made me miss the sun more.
There is something very exciting about the start of a new season. It just fills me with the idea of possibility. For me, I want to learn to stretch and challenge myself without over stretching. I tend to take on way more than I can actually manage and all of that possibility turns into over commitment which turns into stress. There is a balance, I know there is. It can be hard to find when what you love to do is an obsession and painful to pull away. All I can say for myself is that I have to listen to my body and strive to be true to myself which includes loving those I am committed to. I am looking forward to many new things this Spring but diving into what I truly want from this amazing life is one of them.
Lendon Noe is an artist that I had the pleasure of knowing when I lived in Tennessee. Her pieces have always struck me as beautiful in the truest sense of the word. I was able to see a lot of her work at several exhibits in Jackson and her mastery is evident in every brush stroke. Her work is a mixture of mixed media, abstract elements, and realism. It hits me in all the right places and inspires me to keep moving forward in pursuit of a meaningful life.
Can you tell us about yourself and what you do?
My name is Lendon Hamilton Noe. I have been an artist, teacher and administrator my whole life. I was the first professional director of the Jackson Arts Council. I have taught k-12 art in both public and private schools and then was a professor of art for 28 years at Lambuth University. I have an MS in Art Education and an MFA in studio arts. I am retired from full time teaching now but I still teach workshops and have art classes online with Carla Sonheim. And these days, I work for the Art Museum at the University of Memphis producing community based art activities on the Lambuth campus.
You create these beautiful abstract pieces that have elements of realism. Can you tell us a little more about how you come into this style?
My personal artwork is mostly painting and mixed media though I have dabbled in lots of other media and especially enjoy creating assemblages and site specific work. I developed my style through an affinity for drawing. I was in school during the 60’s and abstraction and modernism was the dominant style. I love the work of the great abstract artists but abstraction was never meaningful enough in my own work. I was grateful to the postmodern artists for opening the arena to women and to a plethora of ways in which to work. I am attracted to beautiful organic line, more than shape, more than color.
How do you find inspiration? (Or How does inspiration find you?)
The human figure was my original source of inspiration but for many decades now my primary subject matter has been the natural world. I have been influenced by a wide variety of artists from Rembrandt to Cy Twombly, Kathe Kollwitz to Larry Rivers.
Is there anything that you are challenging yourself with currently?
At the moment, I have the privilege of working on a commission from the city of Jackson Bicentennial committee to create a series of paintings commemorating Jackson’s history. Unusual subject matter for me but I am really enjoying the challenge.
Do you have a daily art routine?
As to a daily art routine, I am very fortunate to have a studio and I try to be there by 1:00 pm every afternoon at least 5 days a week. I work from 1 – 5:00 then. I have other responsibilities on other days but I spend most every day doing some reading, ideation and research. In my experience you have to look for ideas, they seldom just appear fully blown. I will be 73 this year and I find I get too tired to work more than 4 hours at a time. If I just to push through, the work will often suffer. This is the first time in my life that I’ve had a studio of my own that I didn’t have to share. I just want other artists to know that it is possible to find a way to work no matter what your circumstances are.
What has been your biggest struggle as an artist? How did you overcome it?
I suppose my biggest struggle as an artist has been finding representation. When I was first starting out finding a gallery was a cutthroat activity. I did land with some wonderful opportunities and I was lucky to have my university affiliation that afforded me ways to show and sell my work. All of that has changed now. The internet pretty much did away with brick and mortar galleries (yes there are still some out there) but at the same time created ways for artists to show and sell independently. It’s a whole new world. The young artists of today are marketing themselves and doing an incredible job of it. John Berger would be questioning that and I have been heavily influenced by him but every one has to make a living somehow.
What advice would you give to other artists?
My only real advice to other artists is to hang in there, work every day you can. Do the work because it is the way that you express yourself and because it keeps you sane.
Do you have any resources to share?
The internet is filled with resources. I have curated my Instagram to keep me in touch with art groups, individuals, museums and galleries. Youtube is an amazing resource and pinterest and there are blogs that inspire. Following are some of my current favorites:
Carla Sonheim publishes classes of all kinds including mine! I just gifted one of Lynn Whipple’s classes to a young artist friend. Her Big Bold Bloom painting classes are an excellent introduction to painting but I’ve enjoyed these lessons myself as well and Lynn’s personality is just infectious.
I do a lot of nature journaling and botanical drawing so have lots of contacts for such. I love Laura Gastingersperpetual journal idea. #LGPerpetualJournal
I have loved every second I have gotten to spend at arts and crafts schools like Arrowmont in Gatlingberg
I have loved bookmaking and Bari Zaki teaches some wonderful workshops online via Zoom@barizaki.
Her wonderful shop is in Chicago if you are ever that way.
For more information on Lendon visit:
