Artist channels nature through photos and paint
After visiting a park with her camera in hand, Katarzyna Korytowska heads home to sort through photographs. The best images, which she says “have something special in them,” serve as inspiration for her paintings.
“I feel like people are a huge part of nature and overall landscape,” says Korytowska, of Rochester. “I think we have a strong connection with our surroundings and living things around us and we should embrace our natural environment. Painting nature and bringing it indoors in the form of paintings is like adding another window in your house to a bigger world out there, where we can find peace, energy and beauty.”
Working mainly with oil on canvas, Korytowska, a gardener and plant lover, focuses on capturing the great outdoors, whether through landscapes or incorporating the hues of nature into abstract works.
When she’s not painting commissions, she says she tends to begin a few pieces simultaneously, hopping between works as inspiration strikes.
“I just start with an inspiration and see where it takes me,” Korytowska says.
Depending on size and details, each painting takes a week or longer to complete.
“Sometimes, I paint pretty quickly, as I am excited about what I am creating and I see the results that I am happy with,” Korytowska says. “And other times, I have to distance myself a little, take a breather and come back another day to make sure there is an element of freshness in my art. I try not to paint when I am tired because that has an impact on the final product.”
Works from Korytowska’s Textured Collection will be on display alongside nine other artists’ pieces for Lawrence Street Gallery’s Best of the Best exhibit, running now through Jan. 28 in Ferndale.
Korytowska has been involved with Lawrence Street for more than a year and says she enjoys showing her work there.
“I think right now, within the past year, our lives became very repetitive and at times dull. With staying socially distanced we are sacrificing “experiences” and being exposed to new things,” Korytowska says. “Going to galleries, seeing exhibits like Best of The Best in Lawrence Street Gallery, I think are great opportunities to get away for a bit, clear your mind, get inspired, see a world through an artist’s eyes, all while still being safe.”
Kathie Troshynski, publicist for Lawrence Street Gallery, says measures are in place to welcome people back to the gallery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Air purifiers, required masks and social distancing will be enforced so the artists’ works can be showcased in a safe manner.
“This group of artists has been first-place winners in our juried specialty shows during 2020,” Troshynski says. “Each has displayed exceptional talent compared to their peers. They choose what work goes into this exhibit. There is an amazing variety of techniques and media. Our show gives them the opportunity to display more work, often not seen before.”
Also during the month of January, Lawrence Street will have a live pastels demonstration by Kathie Troshynski on Jan. 24, and an in-person watercolor demonstration by Laura Host on Jan. 31.