polly podolsky

I love painting people and beautifully lit, lovely objects.
Many of the figural paintings I create are inspired by my huge collection of antique photographs...I've been fascinated by those old images since early childhood, when my Grandma held me on her lap and took me on tours through her family album.The past is important to us because we all came from there, We have much in common with the people in those tattered snapshots. The future they looked toward is now our history...I find that to be both eerie and wonderful!
Painting still life has become another sweet obsession, I've been collecting beautiful stuff all my life, so I never run out of inspiration--or excuses to buy even more beautiful stuff.
I begin each painting the same way...i either draw or mass in the elements, and then do a multi-layered underpainting in washes of burnt umber and medium until all the values are established. Then I apply color in many layers, both opaque and transparent, sometimes painting into wet glazes of transparent color, and sometimes applying the paint in thick, gorgeous brush strokes. Oil paint is luscious and buttery. It feels delicious under my brush, and it's my great joy to make it create a wonderful illusion on my canvas!

I won many awards at major shows in Florida.

12 years commercial art, including production, design and illustration.
I taught oil painting at Mount Dora Center for the Arts (Florida) for 12 years. I now teach privately in my studio.

Solo at Loring Gallery, Sheffield, Ma
Group shows at various galleries in Orlando, Mount Dora and Winter Park, Florida.
Solo at Riverfront Art Gallery, Petaluma, Ca

John Singer Sargent, Grant Wood, Edward Hopper, all the Pre-Raphaelites

classical still life, historic americana, portraiture, landscape, nostalgia