LUBA DRAHOSZ

I studied art history and painting at Herkimer County Community College, then in 1997 I graduated from Utica College of Syracuse University with a major in education and a minor in art. I taught 12th grade High School students for several years before moving into the corporate world. Throughout my college years I participated in several summer workshops on Monhegan Island, Main painting seascapes and landscapes under the guidance of Guy Corriero. For many years I painted realistically, but over time I became aware that creating art is a dynamic process and I began exploring abstraction. The process of simplifying and pushing the image to it's basic component became an exciting process. For me the creative process never rests, and my need to experiment, explore and always ask "what if I....?" has led me to non-representational and unpredictable paintings. I love the process of painting, the challenge of pushing the design and the color, and then the delight of the finished painting. Today my art comes from my past learning but always guided by intution, from subliminal sources and an unconscious intuitive flow. And it comes from nature; an old painted door, rock formations, rain on windows and patterns in the shadows. But mood, color, design, line, shape, and composition are always in play in a delicate balance. Not everything can be seen at a distance, I want the viewer to be drawn into the image and discover the hidden nuances. I want the viewer to be engages, to find his or her own meaning or not find a meaning, but to simply enjoy.