Hello/Bonjour!

My name is Izabella and I am an artist-educator residing in Edmonton, Alberta. I hold an MFA from the New York Academy of Art and a Ph.D. in Art Education from the University of Alberta.

My life is dictated by the politeness and comfort associated with being a Canadian, and the emotional excesses of having a Slavic soul. Life is rich and beautiful and I am on a quest to explore it to the fullest. Art has always been an integral part of my life, though painting suits my personality the most. I feel transplanted into my own magical world, while standing in front of an empty canvas; there is always a new beginning with an infinite number of possible endings. I like this very much.

Throughout the years, the human body has been a main source of my fascination. Perhaps its complexity, which encompasses a multitude of corporeal experiences, has drawn me to this state of infatuation. For example, while immersed in portrait creation, I often reflect on how existential wisdom of each passing moment transforms the body of my subject into an eternally evolving landscape of sorrows and happiness, manifested in visible signs.

Lately, I have discovered my own garden as a source of inspiration. Here, the potential of colouristic nuances is limitless while the labyrinth of organic shapes evokes pleasant memories of the past. Canada’s summers are short lived; this is reflected in my painterly technique with its vigorous strokes and, in most cases, thick paint application to capture the fleeting moment in time.

For my future artistic endeavours I do not have a clear path; rather, I want to let my passion and new life experiences lead/take me on a new visual journey. I am open to new, “yet to come” possibilities.

Izabella Orzelski

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