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Enchanted Autumn Night for the Downtown Aspen Art Festival

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Enchanted Autumn Night, acrylic on board, 47.5""x47.5" (framed), 2024 Available

See the Painting in the Online Shop: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/enchanted-autumn-night-47-5-x-47-5-framed/

This painting is inspired by a clear Autumn night in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where the aspen trees are turning a bright yellow and the milky-way is visible above. I am excited that this new painting will make its debut at the Downtown Aspen Art Festival later this month. See the poster below.

I didn't have much of a chance to take process photos of the painting coming together. Below are a few I got got though.

And below are a few photos of the completed painting that expresses so much of what I love about living in Colorado, within reach of so many vistas like this, each one beyond my wildest imagination!


21st Annual Downtown Aspen Art Festival

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From July 19th till July 21st, I participated in my first 3 day art festival event. It was a huge learning experience for me. The best part was meeting so many amazing artists who have shared the knowledge they have gained over the many years of participating in these type of events. If you missed the festival or attended but couldn't make the decision of what art to buy on the spot, visit my online art shop to see what paintings may still be available: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/


Mountain Wildflower Meadow Under the Stars Set

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This set of paintings has been inspired by incredible Summertime views of Colorado’s high country wildflower meadows in and magical nigh skies. My birthday is at the height of the wildflower season up in the high altitude meadows. In the middle of July the wild color displays that line the mountain sides are breath taking. This last July 14th we drove one of the most spectacular roads in Colorado - the Alpine Loop. I swear that there were trillions of flowers seen in all directions. Besides the sheer magnitude of individual flowers that thrive in those harsh conditions, the variety of species is pretty mind blowing. I took so much inspiration from that beautiful drive that when I got home, I knew exactly what to paint!

Mountain Wildflower Meadow Under the Stars I, acrylic on board, 24″x12″x1.5″, 2024 ~SOLD
See Other Available Art Here: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

Mountain Wildflower Meadow Under the Stars II, acrylic on board, 24″x12″x1.5″, 2024 ~SOLD

See Other Available Art Here: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

Mountain Wildflower Meadow Under the Stars III, acrylic on board, 24″x12″x1.5″, 2024 ~SOLD

See Other Available Art Here: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

Aquamarine Mountain Sunset

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Aquamarine Mountain Sunset, acrylic painting on artist board, 20″ x 40″ (21.5″x41.5″ framed),  2024 ~Available https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/aquamarine-mountain-sunset-21-5-x-41-5-framed/

This painting is inspired by a vibrant sunset in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where the atmosphere feels magical and the mountain are aglow, appearing in a gradient of a beautiful greenish/bluish shade. This colorful landscape helps to bring me back to colorful Summer nights camping in the mountains, being surrounded by the most magical vistas and colors.

Ridgway Rendezvous Art Festival

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Over the weekend I participated in the Ridgway Rendezvous Art Festival. Despite some spotty weather, it was a good festival for me. I've done only a handful since last fall and this one ranks as my second most successful event. Thank you all for stopping by my booth, showing interest in my work and choosing it for your home!

Upcoming Pagosa Springs Studio Tour

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Mark your calendars for Pagosa’s 2nd Annual Summer Art Studio Tour! It’s a 3 day self guided event of artist studios scattered throughout our beautiful Southern Colorado landscape. It’s a perfect opportunity for locals to get a glimpse of what inspires their creative neighbors as well as a unique opportunity to plan an extended weekend getaway to our remote corner of Colorado, combining Art, Nature and exploring all that our little mountain town has to offer! I will have my studio open to everyone for those 3 days so please add a stop to our place to your weekend plans!

Below are a few process photos of 4 paintings from my new series 'Happiness' that will be on display during the event.





Emerald Summer Night - Colorado Night Sky Painting

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Emerald Summer Night,  acrylic painting on art board, 34″x46″ (45.5″x47.5″ framed), 2024 ~Available https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/emerald-summer-night-47-5x35-5-framed/

This painting is inspired by incredible views of the milky way that can be experienced in remote regions of the Mountain West on a magical Summer Night.

The painting is varnished in satin. It has a signed certificate of authenticity on the back. It is custom framed and ready to hang with a hanging wire installed on the back.  
 
 







Pagosa Springs Artist Open Studio Tour

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You might be double checking if you are seeing correctly 😂 YES!!! I am working on my annual mosaic sculpture for the upcoming Alamosa Artscape 😁 This work-in-progress was one of the many pieces of art that visitors to the 3 day weekend Open Studio Tour got to see in person in my art space in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

I no longer give in person mosaic classes so this was a unique opportunity for mosaic art enthusiasts to get some pointers or tips from me. I still had some clear float glass left over from my teaching days so I was prepared to share my glass cutting techniques with anyone interested. People were also able to preview the steel base for the mosaic sculpture and ask questions about any aspect of my sculpture process.


I've worked with glass mosaics since 2007 and have thought easy to follow techniques to hundreds, perhaps thousands of glass lovers through out the US and beyond! You can still take an Online Mosaic Art Class with me virtually https://www.kasiamosaicsclasses.com/ Ps. The open coffee mug was added to photo to freak people out just for fun lol Always keep your beverage away from the glass cutting station 😅 

These days, mosaic projects are a novelty for me. Due to the time consuming nature of the medium and my limited time as a mom of two boys, I mostly paint as a professional landscape artist. My mosaic work is strictly designated for the annual Alamosa Artscape an outdoor art exhibit in downtown Alamosa - the heart of the San Luis Valley. The 2024-25 season is my 8th year of participation which is always an honor.  

Besides the mosaic sculpture shown above, my studio is mostly reserved for my Colorado inspired mountain and night sky paintings which line the walls throughout. If you missed the studio tour and see anything you like in my online art shop: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/ you can email kpolkowska@gmail.com to schedule a studio viewing time.

Gluing the Stained Glass Mosaic Dream Catcher Sculpture for the Alamosa Art Scape Exhibit

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Here you can see the two hand cut stained glass mosaic mandala designs for my double sided sculpture. Each one has a similar color palette but I thought the sculpture would have more of an interesting effect it both sides were not exactly alike.


 The mosaics are ready to glue onto the foam bases that were installed onto my latest steel dream catcher sculpture seen below.

You can see I'm a bit rusty with my safety protocalls for glass mosaic work. But getting a little cut here and there is unfortunately part of the process. Its very easy to get a knick so always remember to keep a clean work area and never work too fast - that's when unexpected boo boos come!
Lastly, below you can see the squares I cut to edge the glued mosaics. You can also see the un-edged form in one of the photos above.

Below is a glimpse into the gluing and the edging.


New Scope of Work - Going Big with 'Mauve Summer Night'

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Mauve Summer Night, acrylic on board, 47.5″”x59.5″ (framed), 2024 ~Available https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/mauve-summer-night-47-5-x-59-5-framed/

This painting is inspired by a clear Summer night in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado where the milkyway is visible above a wildflower meadow.

The painting has a smooth texture and is varnished in satin. It has a hanging wire on the back as well as a signed certificate of authenticity. It is custom framed in a gallery style floating frame made of hardwood and stained in walnut and finished in satin.

This is a new scope of work vs. older, smaller scale. Every-once-in-a-while, I make a decision to discontinue small size art for a variety of reasons but mainly my goal is to only create large art. Here you can see the current WIP which is 5ft by 4ft, compared to the lovely smaller painting which is 1ft by 2ft. My goal is to clear out the smaller works from my studio before my next Art Festival in September and to help me accomplish this, all small works are on a super sweet special https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

During the WIP phase of the painting, there were definitely a lot of steps I didn't photograph - that's the time the painting was in its 'ugly state' before it finally began to come together after many, many layers. I find myself thinking that my paintings are sometimes full of ugly phases intertwined with fun discoveries. This is one of the reasons I don’t take many progress photos as it’s not a step by step type of technique but rather a colorful, sometimes messy journey.

The biggie eventually started coming along! At 5ft by 4ft it is one of my largest paintings to day. I've only pained one other this size a couple years ago. 

I estimate that this painting has about 40-50 layers of translucent acrylic wash. I did a lot of searching with this one but it was so worth it to finally see it start to emerge as what I hoped it would become.

I worked on this piece to be the centerpiece of my art booth during the upcoming Durango Autumn Art Festival. Below are a couple shots of the completed painting as well as it being custom framed.



"The Passage" Mosaic Door Sculpture during the 2023/24 Alamosa ARTSscape

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Flashback to this time last year at the 2023/24 Install and de-installion of two of my sculptures seen below. The above photo of me and the boys is from December 2023 during the 1st Friday Event in downtown.





Thank you to the awesome Alamosa Public Works for your help, friendliness and above all skills with the work you do! My sculpture ’The Passage’ is now officially on the way to be a part of our very slow going sculpture park - more on that later. Check for future posts here to see the installation of this sculpture in our park in Mosca.

 


The Grouting of the Stained Glass Mosaic Sections of My New Steel Sculpture

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New Art Alert! Coming to Alamosa today! We will be installing my latest sculpture on Main Street in Downtown Alamosa and it will be up for 12 months. Each year I design a new piece specifically for the Alamosa ARTScape. This is my 8th consecutive year of participating in this amazing program - thank you for choosing my art to be a part of this wonderful community!

For my sculpture, I take inspiration from what I find beautiful, intriguing and mysterious. I aim to add beauty and interest to places I connect with where the passerby can feel uplifted and inspired. With my newest sculpture 'Dream Catcher' I hope to offer the audience the hope of casting away bad dreams. 

I love the idea of stumbling upon a life-sized, colorful dream-catcher during the day, standing there waiting to stir away anything scary or negative that I stumbled upon in my nightly sleep. My hope is that it would be a reassuring omen to other people who come face to face with my sculpture, not be daunted by negative thoughts or feelings but to focus more on the positive aspects of the day. 

My older son Ethan helped me with the grouting process as he is a young artist and loves being helpful. I loved seeing his approval for the finished artwork.

 

Below are a few random photos of gluing and grouting. 








The Coming Together of a New Series of Paintings Titled 'Happiness'

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Here is a Sneak Peek at my new series of work. Update - the 4 new paintings have now been added to my Online Art Shop: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

I aimed to paint Happiness. Does seeing these vistas inspire feelings of joy? Nature has such power to nourish the soul, sometimes when we needed it most. It can uplift us with its magic and wondrous hues bursting at sunset. No matter who or where a person is, even if they have nothing left in the world, they can still look up at the sky and see the most beautiful colors and scenery painted above, momentarily engulfing the surrounding landscape into a fairy tale scene, maybe giving a glimmer of hope when it’s most needed. 

Below are some of the early stages of each of the 4 paintings. Further down there is a glimpse into the latter stages of drawing patterns in mountains and in the sky.











 

Durango Autumn Art Festival

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This last weekend I participated in the Durango Autumn Art Festival. Despite unfavorable weather both days right in the middle of each day, I still managed to have a very successful weekend! A lot of Art has been connected with lovely people and forever homes. Thank You for choosing my art!

Shop This Painting: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/emerald-summer-night-47-5x35-5-framed/

In this post, I am including some photos from both days at my booth, hence the outfit change =) I'm also including some links to a few of the pieces that I've still got in the studio. Email kpolkowska@gmail.com with all inquiries or questions about my custom payment plan where the buyer receives the artwork after making the first payment.

 

 

For any artists out there, if you live in Southern Colorado and are looking to participate in an amazing art event that is very artist friendly and full of local art enthusiasts, add this event to your application list. This was my second year participating and I only have positive things to say. Both years were very successful for me and I've met a ton of creative people as the event is full of high end professionals.

New Art Installaion in Alamosa - You Can Now Vote for People's Choice!

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Last month in September, my latest mosaic/steel sculpture was beautifully installed in Downtown Alamosa for the annual outdoor art exhibit ARTScape!

The Public Choice Voting https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSeDLXCq.../viewform is open for the 2024/25 Alamosa Artscape which just keeps getting better and better each year! 

I hope that my Dreamcatcher last month and I hope it’s doing its magic out there, catching any negativity that the passersby may carry with them from the previous night. Any bad dreams that may be caught by my Dreamcatcher should than trickle down through the feathers and be blown away by that famous San Luis Valley Wind!


 
Below are a few photos of the delivery of sculpture from Pagosa Springs and the installation in Alamosa led by the amazing Public Works Crew -thank you!

 
 
 
 
 


3 of 4 Paintings from the "Happiness" Series Still Available via Holiday FLASH SALE

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All Paintings Available Here: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/ Email kpolkowska@gmail.com to purchase via Kasia's 'Flexible Payment Plan' where buyer receives the art after making the first monthly payment (monthly amount is flexible, as low as $50 per month - plan can be used on multiple paintings as well as any other art in the Online Art Shop).
 
This is my new series ‘Happiness” where I aimed to paint that emotion through color, pattern and mountainous scenery. I set out to paint a moment  that fleeting yet powerful, the brief burst of color at sunset where the brightly painted landscape elicits  just that, a burst of happiness. I hope that this vibrant vista inspire feelings of joy. Nature has such power to nourish the soul, sometimes when we needed it most. It can uplift us with its magic and wondrous hues bursting at sunset. No matter who or where a person is, even if they have nothing left in the world, they can still look up at the sky and see the most beautiful colors and scenery painted above, momentarily engulfing the surrounding landscape into a fairy tale scene, maybe giving a glimmer of hope when it’s most needed. 
 
Happiness I, acrylic on art board, 18″x18″ (19″x19″ custom framed in hardwood), 2024 ~Available https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/happiness-i-19x19-framed/



 
 Happiness II, acrylic on art board, 18″x18″ (19″x19″ custom framed in hardwood), 2024 ~Available

 


Happiness III, acrylic on art board, 18″x18″ (19″x19″ custom framed in hardwood), 2024 ~SOLD
 


 
Happiness IV, acrylic on art board, 18″x18″ (19″x19″ custom framed in hardwood), 2024 ~Available
 



2024 Studio Clearance Sale Is Happening Now

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Winter has arrived here in Pagosa Springs, Colorado where I live. It has snowed on and off for a few consecutive days and each day here feels like unwrapping a new present. The fresh blanket of snow being lit by the early morning light inspires to create yet it makes me pause and reevaluate my path for the coming months and year. I've been slowing down the last couple of months and gearing up to begin the next chapter, to put my painting projects aside for the season and to focus all my energy on my other passion project which is working on collective art project with my partner Kyle. 

I'm referring to our 'hobby' sculpture park near the Great Sand Dunes National Park in Mosca where we love to spend our time being surrounded by the mystic of the San Luis Valley. Our 'To Do List' of sculpture we want to create keeps growing faster than we can create for a variety of reasons, though we already have over 50 individual art pieces scattered throughout our 40 acre high desert oasis.

One thing is clear to us, we LOVE our project and are once again sitting down to figure out how to bring more of our vision to life. I've been finding it increasingly challenging to split my energy between projects, even between creating actual art work and maintaining an online presence here on my blog/website or on Facebook/Instagram. Even thought I'm not finding the time to share my creative project as much with my virtual community, please know that the gears have been spinning on over time! I keep thinking of the saying "There is not time like right now." So I will be using my right now to take some leaps for our sculpture work because whenever I am out working on a project at our sculpture park and come face to face with our creations installed in that incredible landscape, I want more!


I am not sure how long my break from mainly focusing on painting will be so I would like to use this time to clear our my studio, especially work created prior to 2024 so take a look at my current inventory as I may not have new paintings listed till later in 2025 but if all goes well with my sculpture plans, I may not paint till 2026 because I have a tendency to get a bit consumed with my work =) https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

Below is one of the paintings that is currently on Sale. Its my last small painting measuring 18"x14" as my other plans are to use my limited time for painting to work on larger works such as 4ft by 5th and hopefully some bigger ones too! 

Shop this Artwork: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/serenity-ii-18x14x1-5/

I have a few other paintings in as medium size as well. They measure at 19"x19" and are custom framed. See those below. Once these smaller works sell, I do not have plans to create more on this scale as I'll be growing my collection of larger paintings for a special project I'll share in 2025, so don't miss your chance to snag one up if you have limited wall space. https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/

Here is another medium size painting but it starts getting a bit bigger measuring 21.5"x41.5" I plan for that size to be my new "SMALL" canvas. 

And here is a similar dimension but a little bigger at 23.5"x47.5". It is from last year so I am extra motivated to find it a forever home, email kpolkowska@gmail.com with any questions as well as my custom monthly payment plan where the buyer keeps the painting after making the first payment and then gradually makes monthly payments. 

Luminescent Night Above the Sunflower Meadow , acrylic on board, 22″x46″ (23.5″x47.5″ framed), 2023 ~Available https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/luminescent-night-above-the-sunflower-meadow-23-5x47-5-framed/

If you are looking for something in a similar size but vertical vs. panoramic, take a look at the Summer Night Inspired painting below.

 Summer Solstice Night Symphony, acrylic painting on art board, 40″x20″ (41.5″x21.5″ framed), 2024 ~Available https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/summer-solstice-night-symphony-40x20-41-5x21-5-framed/
 
Below is another painting that I would love to find a forever home for. Its a very special piece that I held off lowering the price on but it is time to let go. I hope it connects with a home soon as its priced to sell. 
 
See more photos of this large painting measuring 4ft by 3ft here: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/winters-mountain-magic/
 
There is a few more medium as well as large size paintings on Sale in my Art Shop here: https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product-category/paintings-drawings/ All paintings can ship anywhere in the US and outside the US upon request. Don't hesitate to email kpolkowska@gmail.com with a quote to your location. Since I currently have FREE US Shipping on all artwork, the difference to most countries in Europe is not typically substantial, customers only get charged the difference. You can also pick up the artwork from my Pagosa Springs Studio and we can subtract the shipping costs for those sales.
 

Holiday Special – Set of Folded Note Cards with Envelopes – 10 Unique Designs – Each 5.5″x4.25″ – Shipping Included

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HOLIDAY SPECIAL

Bulk Discount ex. Buy 2 Sets Save and Additional $2 per Set etc. https://www.kasiapolkowskashop.com/product/set-of-10-colorful-folded-note-cards-with-envelopes-each-a-4-25x5-5/

These 5.5″x4.25″ 120lb note cards come in a set of 10 along with 10 envelopes.

This is a limited number project only. Only 50 Sets Available Online (25 Reserved for the Alamosa and Del Norte Holiday Markets ~ Email to Reserve a Copy for Either Market) – Bulk Discount ex. Buy 2 Sets Save and Additional $2 per Set etc.

Each card depicts one of Kasia’s acrylic night sky mountain paintings on the front as well as another colored image on the back (a detail of the sky from the front).

The card opens up to a blank white interior on both sides – plenty of space to write a note to someone special.

5 of the note cards are a horizontal, landscape dimension 4.25″x5.5″ while the other 5 are a vertical, portrait dimension 5.5″x4.25″.

Perfect for sending a greeting to a fellow art and nature lover or they can be kept as small poster art and even framed in an intimate frame making them a very affordable art piece.

 


 

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