by Nancy E. McCarthy
Penfield artist Andrea Nadel has loved drawing since childhood and painted for pleasure as an adult. But she really focused on her art after her 2013 retirement. By 2019, her techniques took a quantum leap with a boost from group classes with acclaimed Rochester artist Brian O’Neill. “I was a big fan of his work, and it took me two years to get the nerve to take his class,” Nadel said laughingly.
“Andrea quickly absorbed the program which requires patience, precision and a dedication to skill building that opened a new world of creativity for her,” said O’Neill. While he doesn’t limit students to specific subject matter, O’Neill encourages them to implement the knowledge learned from his class exercises into their work. “Andrea excelled in this area by creating magnificent landscapes, portraits, florals, still life and ultimately grew into exploration of abstract work. Andrea’s greatest creative asset is her enthusiasm tempered by her dedication to honing a craft.”
Nadel has hit her stride as an accomplished artist in her own right. She is a signature member and former president (2020-23) of the Rochester Art Club plus a member of Penfield Art Association, Main Street Artists’ Gallery & Studio and Railroad Street Artworks. She regularly participates in the art shows these organizations sponsor and won nearly 20 awards over the past five years. Her most recent two honors were a Juror Award and the Body of Work Award from the Penfield Art Association’s 2025 winter show.
“The Body of Work Award is highly meaningful as a recognition and appreciation of the years of work I have put into my art,” Nadel said.
A long and winding road
Nadel and her two siblings grew up in Cleveland, OH. Her love of art began at an early age, but she did not pursue an art career. Nadel graduated from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 1978 and began practicing family law. Her art shifted to the backdrop of her life.
In 1981, Nadel moved to Rochester to accept a position with Thomson Reuters (then called Lawyers Cooperative Publishing). As an attorney editor, she wrote in-depth, analytical articles on a broad range of legal subjects. In later years she managed numerous publications and worked with renowned attorneys and judges. “The best part of my career was the many relationships that developed with my co-workers who I consider as family,” said Nadel.
She also met her future husband, John Alligood, through a mutual friend in 1981. The couple married in 1987 after moving to Penfield and welcomed their daughter Kimberly the following year.
With a full, busy professional and personal life, Nadel painted only when time permitted. She took a few Memorial Art Gallery art classes but was largely creating without benefit of formal instruction. Nadel’s early subject matter was primarily still life and landscapes.
Alligood, a mechanical engineer at Kodak, also had an art degree from Rochester Institute of Technology. He was a talented artist and particularly knowledgeable about perspective and composition. “He was my best friend and biggest art critic,” said Nadel. “I valued his opinion.” In the earlier years of Nadel’s art journey, Alligood sometimes left Post-It notes on her work, alternately praising or gently critiquing. Alligood passed away in late 2024.
“Though it’s been difficult finding motivation to continue my art, I know John would want me to keep painting and I plan to honor his wish,” Nadel said.
Life-long memories and strong bonds are created between grandmother and granddaughter as they make cookies together in this commissioned painting.
Reference photo provided with permission by Anna Hofer.
Art in focus
After Nadel retired from her 32-year career at Thomson Reuters, she took some classes at Art Stop, a fine art supply shop. In 2014, she unintentionally made her first sale after showing her landscape of Keuka Lake to a friend who asked to buy it. Nadel has sold numerous paintings since. Currently her work can be purchased at Railroad Street Artworks’ cooperative art gallery in Fairport, during art shows or from her website and social media.
Nadel’s go-to representational subjects are landscapes and figures and are created using photo references of real people, animals, objects or landscapes. Abstract paintings don’t have that “road map,” and the end result is unplanned. She finds this both freeing and challenging. Though she starts with a nature-inspired image, such as rushing white water rapids or a tranquil fiery sunset, she doesn’t refer to it once she begins painting. “I try to capture the feeling of the piece,” Nadel explained.
Acrylics are her medium of choice for abstracts, but they dry fast so she works quickly. “I don’t draw anything on the canvas but rather start painting the entire piece in one session,” she said. Nadel often uses an acrylic gel and metal leaf to build texture in these paintings.
Some artists develop a recognizable, consistent style, but Nadel eschews labels or being pigeonholed into a certain art category. Though she gravitates naturally toward bright colors and high contrast, versatility is the hallmark of her wide range of work.
“Over the years, I have witnessed Andrea’s growth as an artist,” said her friend Dara Donaghy of Pittsford. Donaghy owns four Nadel paintings which exemplify the artist’s range: an abstract, a landscape, still life and a pet portrait. “Andrea’s art isn’t limited to one genre. She is brilliant with portraits and abstracts, and her landscapes are beautiful. Andrea is comfortable with a paintbrush, a pencil or chalk in her hand.”
Utilizing different mediums to capture countless captivating subjects, Nadel continues to perfect her skills down to a fine art.
The Artist’s Process: Painting a Landscape
“The first step is to find a subject that speaks to me on an emotional level,” Nadel said. “Since I can spend months working on a particular painting, the subject has to be appealing and something I want to spend time with.”
Flowers, landscapes and waterscapes are recurring themes in her representational paintings, and oil is her medium of choice. “The beauty around us provides such a reservoir for artists. Whether traveling abroad or in my own backyard in Western New York, there is an abundance of beauty that makes it challenging to choose a reference.”
“There is nothing more beautiful than the Highlands in Scotland. While visiting Ballachulish, Scotland, this was a view from the hotel,” Nadel said. This is the largest painting she has painted to date.
Nadel takes photos of her selected subject and references the images on her tablet to make decisions about size, surface and medium. Nadel grids both the photo and the surface so the proportion and perspective are correct. Using the grid as a guide, she draws the image with a pastel pencil on her chosen surface. She then selects and mixes colors and begins to paint each section of the painting. Along the way Nadel photographs her progress – a useful visual tool to stay on track.
After completing the entire piece, Nadel makes adjustments and corrections such as adding highlights or darkening a section to increase contrast.
To view Nadel’s work, visit andreanadel.com.
Follow the artist on Instagram @andreagnadel.
