Step into Nicholas and Rodah Hair Design in Salem, N.H., and you will receive a warm greeting by one or both of the owners, husband and wife Nicholas and Rodah Altaweel. Adding to the beauty of the community one hairstyle at a time for close to 30 years, this Methuen couple’s love for the profession is apparent. What is also apparent is their love of art, as the salon’s walls double as a mini-gallery, featuring an ever-changing selection of large-scale, handsomely framed paintings by Nicholas, himself.

“I respect the hair salon business,” he says. “It puts food on the table, pays the bills and has supported us in life. But I paint to make myself and others happy.”

Natives of Damascus, Syria, the Altaweels immigrated to America as a married couple in 1988.

Their three children, now grown, were born and raised here, and the family members are Methuen residents. As a civil engineer in Syria, it was not easy for Nicholas to become instantly licensed upon arrival in this country, so his wife suggested he learn her trade. In 1997, they opened their hair salon and, although he has been at it for decades, Nicholas still considers his wife the true hair artist.

As for his painting, Altaweel cannot recall a time when he was not creating art.

“As a child, I had a reputation in my community for my pencil drawings,” he says. “While I never studied art, my engineering training in college included learning about perspective, proportions and vanishing points and how to apply them to cityscapes and landscapes.”

In his basement studio at home, Altaweel always has a large canvas on his easel, waiting for the right moment.

“I never know when I might have the chance to come down here and paint,” he says.

With a 40- to-50-hour work week at the salon, Altaweel still finds time to settle in and pick up one of his many brushes lined up in glass jars.

“I paint whenever I find the downtime, like during cold winter nights,” he says.

Some paintings take months to complete.

While his subject matter varies from masterful cityscapes and sweeping landscapes to powerful wildlife portraits, what is not in his repertoire are human portraits. 

“I spend my days working with people and discussing their features,” he laughs. “I want the freedom to do my art without someone telling me their nose looks too long.

“I paint cityscapes, landscapes and animals,” he says, “and each of those categories is an ocean of possibilities. That is enough for me to master.”

Mainly self-taught, Altaweel often turns to the Internet for photo-references.

“I take a million photos myself, but if I have never been someplace, Google Earth helps me with the details,” he says. “I do a search and go around and around the 3-D photos to study the different angles of buildings and landscapes. It’s like cooking, where you need to gather all your ingredients. Google is my third eye, ear and hand, as I get all the information that I need from photos and videos and put it all together in my painting.”

Altaweel also peruses videos of other artists online, picking up valuable tips and techniques from a variety of sources.

“Everyone has something to offer,” he says, “even new artists. I am always learning, and every single painting I create is a challenge in some way, which for me is important.”

The Altaweel’s home is graced with Nicholas’ stunning paintings, as well as a few sculptures.

“Sculpting is messy, so I don’t do it inside the house,” he says.

Because of this, he only occasionally sculpts, but when he does, he mixes up his own “strong as concrete” clay for the final layer. Altaweel’s pieces include an elephant, a moose and camels, as well as a gilded soldier on horseback; all are detailed and amazingly realistic.

Many of Altaweel’s works are strongly symbolic, like his favorite painting, that of an eagle with American flags on its wings, flying over Denali (Mount McKinley), the highest American mountain.

“This country has been very good to me,” he says.

Other paintings might have a more subtle meaning, but the artist is happy to share his thoughts with viewers.

The paintings in the hair salon are rotated occasionally; and while he does not post prices on the walls, he has sold several to customers.

“I don’t push my artwork,” he says. “But I love to hear my customers’ comments. The compliments build me up and the criticism helps me to be a better painter.”

Recently, a new customer was so impressed with Altaweel’s work that he penned a letter to the WCVB show, “Chronicle,” which prompted a visit from their crew and a feature on their show last month.

When he started getting phone calls about prices, his daughter offered to set up an Instagram (ntpaintings) page for him. With this new-found notoriety, let’s hope for a few snow days this winter so that this artist can continue to create and keep up with the demand.

Patricia Bruno is a Methuen native, currently living in Haverhill. A writer and photographer, she is also the owner of The Winged Rabbit gift shop in downtown Haverhill.