ABOUT THE ARTIST
My background in abstract art took a rather unconventional path. Between a full and part-time career in pediatric critical care nursing, I pursued art classes in decorative painting, graphite drawing, and botanical watercolor, eventually teaching botanical watercolor technique at the Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh, PA. A move back to Denver, Colorado 14 years ago presented the long-held desire and opportunity to transition from realism to abstraction. The Student’s Art League of Denver, the International Cold Wax Academy, and an active art community in Denver presented access to professional art instruction in numerous mediums. The years spent working in other art forms helped me establish my own techniques and creative styles.
Abstract art draws the viewer in at times by stark simplicity and at other times by explosions of texture, blended colors, layering, contrast, and mark-making. Applying cold wax and oil to panel boards or oil paper using various techniques and tools is always an adventure into a creative process full of surprising outcomes. I love for my work to draw an audience into the calm and calamity that evolves as I move the medium through numerous stages. The final intuitive creative movements are often the ones that unify and define the painting.
A pallete of paint and freedom of my imagination….. can’t get much better than that!
PROCESS
Multiple layering of cold wax and oil paint is applied onto paper or panel board using squeeges, palette knives, brayers, scraping tools and sometimes even a twig found on my morning walks. Throughout the stages, I often use other mediums compatible with oil paints such as charcoal powder, pastel paints, and pigment powder. Several methods of reduction during the creative process reveal the history of the painting in some areas and inspire further exploration and adventure in other areas. Intuition and the unintended outcomes of repeating stages multiple times over different drying times eventually lead to a unifying composition of color, contrast, patterns, texture, luminosity, and opaqueness that defines this incredible medium. The final composition reveals itself toward the end and hopefully brings the viewer as much joy and intrigue as I find in creating each work.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLICATION
Unanimously Juried into the Santa Fe Gallery Association’s 2023 Artist Catalog
Member D’art Gallery / January 2024
D’Art Gallery 2022/ Juried Show
Denver Design Week October 2020
Artful Home Member
Sync Gallery Exhibition-Denver,CO 2020
Nine dot Arts-7 images procured for ERC,Denver,CO
Louisville National Fine Art Show -Louisville,CO-2019-Juried
Saalan Magazine - 2nd edition
Singulart.com
Guesthouse.com
ASBA Annual Art Show-Memorial Gallery-Farmington,New Jersey
Women in Art—Harlan Gallery- Seton Hill College
Watercolor Gallery-Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
Phipps Conservatory-Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
Allegheny Highlands Flora Project-Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania
Bird in Hand Gallery-Sewickley,Pennsylvania
Central Park Open Studios -Denver,Colorado
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
American Society of Botanical Artists
Allegheny Highlands Society of Botanical Artists
Students Art League-DenverColorado
Central Park Art Association
Cold Wax Academy
ART EDUCATION
Phipps Conservatory-Art and Illustration
Contemporary Painting-Students Art League Of Denver
Oil Pastel-Students Art League of Denver
Language of Abstract Art-Students Art League of Denver
Abstract Compostion/Victoria Kwasinski
Cold wax and oil/Victoria Kwasinski
Cold Wax Academy Cold Wax and Oil Advanced Course