Paisley Noel is an artist who works to achieve storytelling through various methods of expression in her drawings. Each of her drawings are founded on traces of historical, familial, and slightly fanciful narratives, and delivered in various mediums such as pencil crayon, marker, pen, and watercolour. Corresponding with the incongruous use of mediums, Paisley gratuitously switches between drawing styles, typically displaying elements of hyper-realism all the way to minimalism. Although many styles are represented in Paisley’s works, she strives to find unity in all the different pieces in order to tell the story.
Presented for this exhibition is a series of three works: il ventidue settembre, con tante belle cose and non lo so, all of which display and utilize methods of collage. Each drawing is made individually and then assembled with matte medium onto a canvas or wood panel. Paisley’s work is often inspired not only through story, but through the poetry she writes, these written works serving as companion pieces for her drawings.
Il ventidue settembre, 2021
Mixed media (markers, pens, pencil crayon and watercolour)
3’x3,5′
In the sun burning bright.
Kisses to bed at night.
In the horrors of fear,
A story unclear.
Cursing through the soul,
Deception and all.
In every fibre of breath,
From birth to death.
Written across the chest,
Names now rest.
In the eyes of a baby,
Tears of what may be.
Tell the story again.
Relapsing in my head.
Nightmares unbound,
Drown out the sound.
Puncture through the heart.
Worlds torn apart.
Con tante belle cose, 2021
Mixed media (markers, pens, pencil crayon and watercolour)
2.5’x3′
Because I walk with you now as I always have.
I will walk with you forever.
I am the beauty,
I am the sun,
I am the soldiers marching one by one.
I am the tears on your cheek,
The courage to speak.
The smile you can’t contain,
The song dancing in your brain.
Every colour smudged in the sky,
Shooting stars passing by.
I am here.
I am you.
I am everything you will ever amount to.
The blood cursing and spewing hate,
The love you don’t appreciate.
A tiring drive, begging for home.
Another night spent all alone.
Family’s coming undone,
Every putrid event as one.
I am the hate too,
But beauty shines through.
I am lungs full of air,
Evil stripped bare.
In the very last voice,
I am the choice.
I am the question.
I am the decision.
Relaying again and again without permission.
Non lo so, 2021
Mixed media (markers, pens, pencil crayon and watercolour)
2.5’x1′
It comes and goes,
but never shows.
Clear your throat before you let them see,
you know you’re not who they want you to be.
When you were little you didn’t understand,
Mommy was always there to hold your hand.
As you grew older the fog did clear,
and the dark truths of life would soon be near.
It shakes you and takes you until it eventually breaks you.
It’s not what you thought,
and the pieces missing can’t be bought.
It’s horrible and scary,
and now you wish you didn’t see.
This world is not what you wanted it to be.
So cry and scream, because you can’t wake up from this bad dream.
Now words can explain the deprive you feel,
because the feelings locked inside are so surreal.
They rip you apart,
Until you feel like you don’t even have a heart.
Feel like you might be sick,
because this isn’t a story you got to pick.
Just hold on a little longer.
I know you feel like you can’t be any stronger.
Don’t let them see.
Don’t let them know.
And as hard as it seems,
never let go.
Drawing IV Final Exhibition 