Artist: Longina Smolinksi

Longina Smolinksi is the third member of the shared display at Staart also featuring Lisamarie Charlesworth and Tinka Martell. It's amazing how the work of these three friends ties in so nicely together. Smolinksi's paintings on display are vibrant and textured and exhibit the boldness that can be seen in her other work. Check out the others in the series but also stop by the gallery to see two of  her paper clay sculptures that are on display in our window. 

"Art is entirety. For me, fulfillment lies in expressing myself through diverse mediums and creative approaches. Thus, I do not feel any strong commitment to one particular method of expression over another. Although my art education focused on sculpture and design, currently my work varies between painting, making sculpture and designing ceramic and glassware. Painting in the abstract allows me these spontaneous moments of escape to a place where there are seemingly no rules. I use bright colors. I experiment mixing paint until it is a thick paste, working with layers of color and paint, mixing it with wax or other medium, applied to canvas, paper, even the walls in my home. When making paintings, I look for questions, I reflect upon my current emotion or I simply become lost in the comfort of the colors I am painting. With clay, I assign a tangible form to motifs that exist outside my everyday surroundings. Built from layers of coils, sculpted pieces begin to form from the bottom to the top until a finished form emerges. Although unintentional, my sculptures are decidedly feminine in form. Recently, I have begun to experiment with paper clay and acrylic paint as a top coat instead of glazing or leaving the surface plain. After all, I do enjoy color! My work reflects the immediacy of the present – neither reminiscing in the past nor moving towards the future. It is entirely me. Here. Now."