Why is it that when women are portrayed in art, some painters have a hard time going beyond the surface. It's as if they believe the size of a nose or smoothness of skin will reveal something about the subject's thoughts or feelings. Then there are Noakes' women with their broad noses, wide eyes and unique skin colours. By following a set formula when depicting her ladies, the artist is able to concentrate on capturing the mind set or mood beneath the surface.

Noakes accesses personal stories and emotions for her richly coloured compositions yet they speak of certain universalities. Perhaps it is because she considers every aspect of domestic life and personal relationships as important. For example, Ritual is a simple image of a woman holding a white teapot. The tea then may be poured for medicinal purposes, as a welcoming gesture, or just to sip alone in quietude. The narrative of the image referred to by the artist is of little concern to viewers, who will each relate to the content and find their own 'significant' woman in that face. Quiet images like The Wait, were a peasant woman sits at a wooden table resting her head on a hand, projects a sense of stillness and patience while in The Lost Kite, there is no doubt it's a blustery day yet the figures are firmly grounded in the landscape.

While considering what lay beneath the image, the artist does not lose sight of the surface of her paintings. This is noted in her use of bold colour and expressive brushwork. Warm hues dance freely within heavily drawn lines giving a sense of life to these solid figures. Noakes' paintings display her confidence in working with rich pigments and lively mark making. What enchants the viewer most about these exhibits is how we find what we want or need in each as the artist gives the viewer the freedom to accept each work according to their own interpretation.

Noakes' paintings provide a conduit between artist and appreciator, one that is accepted - even if subliminally - by the viewer. She give her subjects a sense of character, a humanity that is often overlooked by others who concentrate on replicating the human form with exactitude. And this is what the viewer recognizes and reacts to.