When did you begin experiencing migraine?
I was diagnosed with chronic migraine [at least 15 headache days a month] in my early twenties, but I believe I've had symptoms since I was 10. When I was younger, I would have dizzy spells and head pain that would last for weeks or months.
How do you treat your condition?
I've enrolled in lots of clinical trials for some of the newer drugs, one of which worked until it didn't. At the moment, I take a preventive medication as well as one that can stop an attack in progress. For a particularly stubborn episode, I bundle up, put on my sunglasses, and take my big dog for a walk in the woods.
Have you always been interested in painting?
I went to Reed College in Oregon to study biochemistry, but I ended up pursuing a master of fine arts at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence. While at RISD, I realized I was doing a lot of drawing of the visual aura I experience during a migraine [disturbances that can include seeing spots, zigzags, or flashes].
How has your art evolved?
I've graduated to larger canvases and expanded my work to describe how migraine symptoms affect my perception of the world. I try to make the colors of the natural world as intense and vibrant as I experience them. Sometimes compositionally, for example, I can make a yellow ochre scream. I also use primer as paint and play with the optical properties of all my paints. I focus primarily on outdoor scenes, particularly the woods. And now that I'm doing art full-time, my health and work have improved. When I was doing this part-time, I might create 11 pieces in a year. Now I can do 25.
What has been the response to your paintings?
Most people really like my use of color and light. And those who have migraine tell me my art reflects their own experiences, which is pretty validating. I try to create something that's strange and alienating without causing my viewers any pain.
Is it important for viewers to know that you have migraine attacks?
Not necessarily. If they know, and it enhances their understanding, that's good. But I want people to connect to my art whether they know or not. I listen to a lot of music that's not in a language I am familiar with, and sometimes I still get the chills or am deeply moved even if I don't understand the lyrics. That's the connection I'd like to make with the viewer. Art is another language, and many of us are visual creatures.
To learn more about Noël's art, visit Bethany Noël Art or Three Stones Gallery.
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