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Artist Statement:
"I am a landscape and still life painter. I paint the ordinary that surrounds us, in order to illuminate how extraordinary life is - but often, we “unlearn to see it” as we grow up. I am curious about the intersection of the natural world, in it’s beauty and untamed energy, with the human world. I’ve immersed myself in painting the St. Croix River and surrounding area for the past seventeen years. Each time I start a painting, I am fascinated in how nature, particularly the river, reveals layers of mystery that include a sense of place, a sense of time, and the concept that the fleeting moment can be captured and experienced by others in the future, through my art.
It is important to me, as a part of the process, to be out in the elements, because it continues to teach me what I have yet to learn about the cycle of life: growth, dormancy, and rebirth. It also requires much of me as an artist, rethinking the important elements that translate the specifics of location, time, and the changing emotion of the day onto canvas: capturing atmosphere, studying the changing, nature of light, noting subtle temperature relationships and vibrations, structuring underlying abstract armatures, honing in on a design and composition, massing shapes.
Because I am a painter, it is difficult to describe my work with words. I am after authenticity and integrity in my craft. I appreciate art that is grounded in academic training, but goes beyond that and communicates discovery and rawness. I use the tools of color, line, and value to build the foundation for the initial concept of what I want to share through texture and brush work. Over the past decade, my work has grown in freedom and maturity and I look forward to the unknown that is revealed to me with each new canvas."
Kami Polzin is an inspired painter and an inspiring teacher whose enthusiasm for painting and teaching is contagious. Kami grew up just North of Stillwater, MN on the family farm where her daily wanderings taught her to have a great love and respect for the qualities of the natural world that would later provide her with the inspiration that has led her on a life long journey as a painter.
She is greatly influenced by a number of painters including Cecilia Beaux, George Inness, Isaac Levitan, Joaquin Sorolla, Repin, the 19th century Russian painters and many American painters both living and deceased. Part of Kami`s path as a painter has included studying with some of the countries finest painters including Mary Pettis, Joseph Paquet, Marc Hanson, John Foote, and recently taken a workshop on the Chesapeake Bay with Camille Przewodek. She has explored many areas of study including Classical Realism, the prismatic palette and portrait painting. Her first love is painting outside on location where she can experience first hand how the light plays across a field of prairie grass and how to translate and portray her vision of that experience to you.
Kami`s enthusiasm for what she does has spread and she is a sought after instructor in both studio and plein air landscape painting. If not in the field painting and teaching, Kami can be found at her Rivertown Studio in Stillwater, MN painting. She has recently returned from Tuscany Italy where she painted and taught a plein air workshop.
Her work can be seen at the Tamarack House Gallery in Stillwater, MN, or by appointment at her Rivertown Studio 651-210-4337.
International, National, Regional Shows, and Exhibitions:
Fine Art Studio on line Top FAV 15 October and August 2009
"Moments" a solo exhibition, Stillwater Minnesota, Novemeber 2009
“Plein Air Festival,” Door County, Wisconsin. July 2009
“Oil Painters of America National Juried Show,” Missoula, Montana. May 2008
“Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Juried Exhibition,” Nashville, Tennessee. October 2008
“Plein Air Easton quick draw” Easton, Maryland. July 2008
“Nomades Del Arte,” Sage Creek Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico. March 2008
“Salon International Juried Exhibition,” International Museum of Contemporary Masters of Fine Art, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas. May 2008
Phipps Center For the Arts Exhibition, Members Show, Most Classic Beauty Award, Hudson Wisconsin June, 2008
“Barns and Farms National Exhibition,” Barnsite Art Studio and Gallery Kewaunee, Wisconsin. July 2007
“Salon International Juried Exhibition,” Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas. January 2007
“A Year Of Exploration,” Solo Exhibition, Stillwater, Minnesota. May 2007
“Tuscany Exhibition,” Broom Street Gallery, New York, New York. March 2007
“Painting Italy Exhibition” Sienna, Italy. May 2007
Training:
1991-1998, studied with Mary Pettis (Taylors Falls, MN), classical realism, sight size method, and alla prima
2000-2004, studied with Joseph Paquet (St Paul, MN), prismatic palette, composition and design, figure drawing, recession, and landscape painting
2002 and 2004 studied with John Foote (New York, NY), portrait and figure painting
2008 workshop with Camille Przwodek
Teaching Experiences, Residencies (partial listing)
Tuscany Italy taught two week plein air painting workshop, May 2008
Artist in residence, Stillwater Area Elementary Schools, 2003 - 2009Art to Heart community liaison to raise money for public school art programs, 2005-2007 Plein Air painting residency, Tuscany Italy May 2007
Arcola Mills on the St. Croix River Minnesota, teaching resident, 2007- 2009
“The Study of Color Temperature and Light” painting workshops, 2006-2009
“The Structure of A Still Life Painting” painting workshops, 2006-2009
Six years of teaching studio classes in my Stillwater studio for three hundred students
Plein Air teaching on the St. Croix River, sixty class sessions, 2005-2009
White Pine Festival (Stillwater, MN) Featured Artist and Lecturer 2008-2009
Commissioned by Washington County to paint the Historic Courthouse in honor of the 15th anniversary of the annual Victorian Christmas at the Historic Courthouse
Featured in American Art Collector, Eastern Regional OPA Show, October 2008
Artist Choice Award at the Stillwater "en Plein Air" Event ~ October 2007
Participant OPA's Great Paint Out ~ Stillwater MN ~ 2007
Barns and Farms National Exhibit ~ Barnsite Art Studio and Gallery ~ 2007
Salon International 2007 ~ Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art ~ 2007
The Paintings of Kami Polzin Solo Exhibition ~ Stillwater, MN ~ MAY 2007
Tuscany Exibition ~ SoHo New York City ~ Broom Street Gallery ~ March of 2007
The Phipps Center ~ Award of Merit 2006
Artists of Minnesota ~ Super Gold Award 2006
Artists of Minnesota ~ People`s Choice Award 2006
Artists of Minnesota ~ Creative Originality Award 2006
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