Terra Novak

"Evening Perch" - Oil Animal Painting on Birch (2025)

2025

Terra Novak is a contemporary realist painter and art educator based in Colorado whose work explores the beauty, strength, and emotional depth found in both people and the natural world. Raised in a creative household by her mother, also an artist, Terra developed an early love of art that became the foundation of her life’s work. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Laguna College of Art and Design in 2013, where she trained in traditional realist techniques with an emphasis on portraiture and figure drawing. This classical foundation continues to shape her practice, while her Colorado surroundings inspire the integration of animals, landscapes, and symbolic elements into her compositions. Frequently painting on wood panels, Terra often leaves the natural grain exposed, creating a dialogue between her subjects and the organic surface beneath. Teaching is central to her career as both a passion and profession. She is an instructor at the Bemis School of Art, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, and co- founder of the Art Club of Colorado Springs, where she developed after-school programs to bring fine art into local elementary schools. She also leads private and group lessons, and organizes community-based “paint parties”—collaborative experiences that provide creative connection and renewal, particularly for mothers and caregivers. Terra has exhibited in venues such as 7 Degrees in Laguna Beach, the Sawdust Art Festival, Gallery 1505 in Denver, and the Morrison Cider Fest & Arts Festival. Her work has also been included in nonprofit exhibitions supporting human trafficking awareness (We Step Into the Light, 2013–2014) and the Angelman Syndrome Awareness Walk & Silent Auction (2021–2022). In addition, she has completed numerous commissioned works for private collectors and murals for both residences and local businesses across Colorado. Her contributions extend to the broader arts community, including volunteer work at the Vance Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art in Denver. Her career has earned recognition in Southwest Art Magazine, the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot, and an interview feature in Voyage Denver. She also competed on the Game Show Network’s Skin Wars: Fresh Paint, where she demonstrated her versatility and creativity across mediums. A mother of three, Terra’s personal life profoundly influences her artistic voice. Her figurative works often celebrate the resilience and quiet strength of women, reflecting both the challenges and beauty of balancing life, art, and family. Through light, color, and narrative, her paintings invite viewers to pause, connect, and see the extraordinary in the everyday.