Celeste Novak FAIA  b. 1951 Detroit

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I paint in watercolors and acrylics and  live in the woods of Northern Virginia.  Painting and drawing since childhood, my first fine arts degree grounded me in the work of abstract expressionism, color theory, Eastern Art, and mysticism. I have a B.A in art from the College of St. Benedict and a BS in Architecture and a Master’s in Architecture from the University of Michigan. I continue my growth as a painter after over 25 years as an architect.

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My art is generated from observations of how humans, structure, color, sound, light, and the natural world converge. As a painter, my work become large and influenced my desire to become an architect designing with nature. My architectural career included work with Minuro Yamasaki, SOM New York, SmithGroup and my own firm.    My passion for the profession and  environmental design has been evident throughout my architectural career, earning the prestigious Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects.

 

As an adjunct professor I taught design and sustainability at several Michigan universities as well as lecturing and teaching in China. This opportunity allowed me to expand my knowledge of Eastern art, which I had absorbed as a child in the Detroit Institute of Art’s massive Asian collections. My art springs from my experiences as an artist, architect, and author and  explorer of the natural world.

I love to sketch outdoors and to capture the lines of motion  such as shown in the pitcher sketch below.