My name is Kasia Polkowska. I have been a professional, multidisciplinary artist for the past 2 decades. Along with my life partner Kyle and our two young sons, Ethan and Wesley, I live in Pagosa Springs, a small mountain town nestled in the San Juan Mountains of Southern Colorado.
Everyday I am inspired by panoramic mountain views and the
surrounding nature. Each season is breathtaking here. Every day is
magical and each night offers a beautifully dark sky sprinkled with more
stars than you can see in most places. Spring into Summer is abundant
in wild flowers and vivid colors that transition to a golden Autumn that
culminates in a Winter wonderland that nourishes the landscape for a
long awaited, colorful Spring. The cycle of the 4 seasons here provides me with ample outdoor scenes and unique color palettes to explore in my art.
Through out the years, the primary theme in my 2d artwork has been the Great American Landscape, whether I worked in glass mosaics which I did for many years or more recently when I transitioned back into painting which I studied at Pratt Institute in New York City (BFA ’06).
I’ve been a Colorado local since 2012. Luckily I’ve gotten to explore and hike all over the state, gathering inspiration for my work everywhere I go. Each new place I visit seems more beautiful than the last.
Initially, I lived in the foothills of Boulder for a few years, then in a converted cargo van, followed by a short stint in an arts district in Denver, then I switched it up by spending a few years in rural high desert town of Alamosa. While living in the San Luis Valley, along with my partner Kyle , we purchased 40 acres of land in near the Great Sand Dunes National Park which we’ve been converting into our Mystic Valley Sculpture Park. Besides my landcape art, I also create outdoor mosaic sculptures that are set against the magnificent Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Finally in 2020 I landed in the Southwest part of the state where I day dreamed of living since my first trip to Silverton.
I’ve been to each of the 48 states in the continental US, so
throughout the years, I’ve taken inspiration from beyond the Rocky
Mountains. I love to revisit many of unique regions of the country
through my work. I take a lot of photos on my travels and often look
back on them to create my colorful landscapes though my aim is not to
recreate my photos. Often I combine various vantage points from
different photos and from memory. More-so, I strive to show the
impression that I’ve taken from a particular place. I love to create
patterns, to play with colors and to add fun line work to pull in my
viewer, to guide them along the canvas.
I’ve been to each of the 48 states in the continental US, so throughout the years, I’ve taken inspiration from beyond the Rocky Mountains. I love to revisit many of unique regions of the country through my work. I take a lot of photos on my travels and often look back on them to create my colorful landscapes though my aim is not to recreate my photos. Often I combine various vantage points from different photos and from memory. More-so, I strive to show the impression that I’ve taken from a particular place. I love to create patterns, to play with colors and to add fun line work to pull in my viewer, to guide them along the canvas.
With my work, I hope to remind people of how beautiful our Earth is, to bring some of the Great Outdoors inside. I know that a lot of us carry these incredible memories from time spent in incredible scenery. I think it helps to have visual reminders that can be uplifting and inspirational to keep exploring, to keep
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