Shirley Novak is a fine art artist who's mainly known for her poppy paintings. It all stems from her fascination with the flowers and her general love for gardens. From her childhood, she always had something for poppies, enjoying popping the poppy seeds from their pods. As a child, she also enjoyed going out to buy seedlings and coming with them home to plant them. All these just made her fascination with flowers stronger, leading to her interest in replicating such beauty through painting. Shirley’s use of colors, balancing intensity and harmony, has also added to her emotional attachment to her work, and in extension, poppy flowers. She believes that, like Claude Monet, she owes her going into painting to flowers. Shirley’s drive to paint has been strong since her childhood and she's been consistent in listening to that voice, painting through her youth and young adulthood.
Early 1990s saw her take a keener interest in painting. She took several workshops and focused on becoming a professional. She therefore worked consistently to better her best and would in 1996 move to Colorado where she studied with Len Chmiel, one of her workshop teachers. Shirley later joined the Art Students League. She owns a garden that gives her great joy and is also a source of great ideas for creating paintings. Over the years, she's developed a unique painting style that allows her to express herself in the most satisfying ways. Shirley’s works can be found in Smith-Klein Gallery in Boulder, Colorado, The Sylvan Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina, and Simpson Gallery both in Cody, Wyoming, and Montrose, Colorado. Framed Shirley Novak art pieces are also available in galleries and art dealerships for those who would like ready to hung wall art.