I glean inspiration from a scene of beauty, a sense of peace, and the interplay between color and light.  As I paint, I feel a sense of elevation, awe and gratitude; and this is what I aim to convey to my viewers.  A patron once said, "You have a kind and gentle nature and it emanates in your paintings."

Although I am a classically trained oil painter, my personal aesthetic tends towards a more abstract, impressionistic style.  My subject matter relies most heavily towards landscapes and sky scapes, but I also paint abstracts.  

In my more recent work, I am pushing the boundaries of a reductive process.  I reduce a landscape view to its most fundamental form.  During this reductive process, I strive to retain the integrity of the original scene and tap into the source of my initial inspiration.  

I am also playing with free movement of expression from dance and breath translating the emotions and movement of energy onto the canvas or paper through color, shape, and mark making.  I hope to convey how juicy it is to allow oneself to feel all with equality while striving to bring more beauty and love to the world.   I work in a variety of mediums and styles, allowing myself to be called to each one depending on the day, my mood, and the flow of expression.  

My art business has been designated as a "Trusted Art Seller" with The Art Storefronts Organization, which means you can shop with confidence, and know that I stand behind the quality and value of my products.

BIOGRAPHY

Nooraya Sophia Wales is a painter whose landscape and abstract compositions are guided by her intuition and influenced by her roots, travel, and mystical experiences.  Originally known as Carla Wales, she changed her name in 2017 to reflect a new epoch in life.  After a hiatus from painting to instead travel the world, study movement and breath as well the mystics journey, Nooraya is emerging again as an artist with renewed inspiration to create from the heart.   Nooraya uses meditation, movement, breath, and connection to source energy as part of her preparation for the creative process.  These preparations allow for a freedom of expression that feels inspired by wellness, joy and a deep love for all.    

 Born in the Philippines, Nooraya traveled the world with her family before relocating to the United States in 1981.  After graduating from Goucher College (Baltimore, MD) with a degree in Liberal Arts, she continued her travels calling Spain, Barbados, Mexico,  Panama and Bali “home.”  At the suggestion of a mentor, Wales began to explore a career in fine arts in 1994 and settled in New York.  She studied drawing and painting at the Art Student’s League with Jack Faragasso, at the Ridgewood Art Institute with John Osborne and at the Aviano Academy of Fine Arts.  Always craving to learn more, she continues to hone her skills at workshops and through exploration of different resources and techniques.     

As Nooraya hit her stride, her paintings caught the attention of art collectors.  Over the years, she has garnered the support of several patrons, and her oil paintings reside in many private national and international collections.  Wales had a solo exhibitions in Manila, Philippines and in Connecticut.  She has also exhibited her work throughout New York, including Ceres Gallery (Manhattan), Town & Country Gallery (Pound Ridge), Emily Shaw’s (Pound Ridge), Lionheart Gallery (Pound Ridge), Bistro 22 (Bedford) and Paint Box (Bedford Hills).  She has exhibited in Connecticut at the Flinn Gallery (Greenwich),  Adelaide Fine Art (New Canaan), SPAG Gallery (Norwalk), Geary Gallery (Darien),  and Artworks Gallery (Norwalk).  She held a studio at Firing Circuits in Norwalk for many years where she exhibited at shows and open studios.    

Nooraya (as C. Wales) has earned several awards and prices for her work.    In addition to her fine art pursuits, Wales used to have a parallel career as a decorative painter.  She created custom faux finishes, murals, venetian and other specialty plasters, intricate stenciling and gilding in residential and commercial spaces.  She had a substantial portfolio and large professional client base in New York and Connecticut.  

Nooraya now divides her time between New York, New Mexico, and Bali.