WESTFIELD – Richard Nowak, a Westfield resident and realistic style painter with an impressionist flair, is being honored as the Agawam Community Artists and Artisans’ spotlight artist of the month.
Nowak became a member of the ACAA about five years ago, but his passion for art goes way back.

“I always enjoyed art and sketching when I was young and as a teenager, and completed a certificate from Art Instruction Schools,” he said.

About 30 years ago, his passion turned more serious as he dived into oil painting: “A friend of mine offered me some leaky tubes of oil paint when we both worked at Strathmore Paper Company. At the time, Strathmore was a distributor for an old established French line of oil paints now known as L&B.”

Through the “gift of leaky tubes,” Nowak said that rather than discarding them, they were a “godsend and an impetus to [his] taking up oil painting.”

Aside from oil paints, Nowak has tried other various forms of painting. About 10 years ago, he accepted a position to teach acrylic painting at Michael’s craft stores and became a Grumbacher-certified instructor. With this certification, Nowak has also been teaching acrylic painting for over five years with Westfield on Weekends.

“I enjoy seeing my students improve in their painting techniques and even win prizes for their paintings,” he said.

When it comes to watercolor painting, Nowak explained that he uses the same techniques that he does in oil and acrylic painting. Despite experimenting with the different mediums, his preference remains in oil painting.

“I love the thick, juicy texture in the oil paint when applied with oil brushes and painting knives,” he said, adding, “I believe an artist can paint in any medium he sets his mind to, as long as he understands the characteristics of each medium and applies them in his painting,”

“I love to paint ‘plein air’ [open air] mostly landscapes, marine scenes, gardens and still life,” said Nowak. “The plein air movement is a growing painting movement throughout the world and started in the 1800s with the Hudson Valley painters and the French Impressionists.”

When he paints en plein air, or at an outside location, oil paints are usually the best fit for the job.

“My paintings are known for the thick textured brush strokes in the trees and vegetation, which is applied with a dabbing brush technique, and also for my bold colors,” explained Nowak.

Over the years, Nowak has received his own painting instruction en plein air workshops with instructors such as T.M. Nicholas and George Van Hook.

Throughout the city of Westfield and surrounding areas, Nowak can be found painting garden scenes, landscapes and landmark historic buildings. He also enjoys painting marine scenes and boats at the seacoast of Cape Ann and the coast of Maine.

Nowak informed Reminder Publishing that the goal of his paintings is to “uplift the emotions” and “make the viewer feel good.”

Before joining the ACAA, Nowak said he was an active member of the Tobacco Valley Artist Association, the Holyoke Art League and the Springfield Art League. Nationally, he is an associate member of the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society.

Ceil Rossi of the ACAA is responsible for selecting the members for the Spotlight on Art. She said the association began this recognition this year “in order to get them feeling good” and “boost their ego.”

Nowak said, “I am humbled and feel very privileged to be selected in the spotlight for the month of October. We have many talented artists in the ACAA membership, and we all have our own specialties in art and together contribute to the advancement of art education in our community.”

For further information about Spotlight on Art or the ACAA, contact Rossi at 207-1247 or tocarefree2@hotmail.com.

Nowak’s website can be found at www.richardnowakpaintings.com. Some of his older paintings can be found at www.richard-nowak.pixels.com.