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I am a native of Los Angeles. I'm a first generation Polish American. Both of my parents were born in Poland and through independent WWII circumstances, met and married in the Polish Catholic parish in Los Angeles in the 1950's.
I grew up in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz. Los Feliz, as many parts of LA, has a rich Native American, Spanish and Mexican heritage. That western history has carried over to the architecture and decor and food of Southern California which surrounded my childhood. I was fortunate to attend Immaculate Heart High School which had a strong fine art focus as did its sister school, Immaculate Heart College. Well known as the home of SR Corita Kent, IHM. So well known for her iconic artwork. I'm very lucky to own a couple of her pieces.
Art was a natural part of my life, with both my family and schooling supporting all types of arts. When I look back, my parents were so supportive of art and creating. I realize that we had a painting of the Taos pueblo in our home since before I was in school. My father loved paintings and art in general. Among others, I also remember a large painting of a marketplace in Mexico in the 1940's. I still own both of these paintings.
I've always been fond of handmade items especially Southwestern, Mexican tourist items where the hand work and craft is so apparent. Poland has this tradition of hand crafting as well. The tooled leather work is a prominent craft, which I love. Both of my parents were creative and encouraged me and my two siblings to create. My first art class, that I can remember, was at Barnsdall Park, in Hollywood, in one of the old buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a few blocks from our home. I believe I was about 5 years old in that first art class. Years later, I had a watercolor art piece of mine in the annual Barnsdall Art Show they used to have. I was surprised to see my piece chosen to hang inside the gallery. There were many other artworks hung outside on many pegboard easels. I was honored and thrilled.I attended Otis Art Institute (then affiliated with Parsons School of Design) and focused on fashion design. I entered the garment industry and worked in it for ten years as a clothing designer. That period also included textile and graphic design as well as some fashion magazine publishing which incorporated styling and creating editorial content.
I left the garment industry to pursue painting. At that time, that led me to murals, interior paintings, portraits, home and retail interior design and set design for theater productions around the Southern California area. Design was my focus until about 2009. I started painting my southwestern imagery. I also enjoy time in my second studio in the wine country of Temecula, California, a landscape equally steeped in the Early California esthetic.
In my still lifes and my latest "Personal Space" series, I focus on painting the handmade vintage or antique southwestern pieces that, to me, showcase the talents of the hand crafters who created them including the tourist souvenirs and western saddles in an intimate perspective. The cowboy and these carved leather "tools" are synonymous to me. Doesn't a cowboy need to have a saddle to be a cowboy? We see the cowboy in his natural beautiful setting on a horse. The cowboy's view is his saddle. The foremost important and very personal tool. These "tools" are so unique and significant to the cowboy life.
My larger format "personal space" series is really up close details of vintage and antique hand tooled saddles and worn leather goods which show the details of handcrafting with the patina of age, use and wear. To me these items are often overlooked because of being utilitarian or tourist trinkets or plain worn out. My paintings are representational from afar and as you look closer there is an abstract, painterly quality to them. I love and highlight the composition of these artifacts and how they flow in the canvas. So often the historic cowboy is depicted in a beautiful landscape but the cowboy is living in that saddle. His view and physical experience is up close and personal with that item. That saddle gets molded to that cowboy through all those landscapes.
In my landscapes and southwest paintings, I hope to evoke the mood of a time gone by. I do enjoy a bit of humor in some pieces, some still lifes and in my "Headwest" group of characters.
The Southern California, Early California history, Spanish, Mexican, Native American, Southwestern, Western, and New Mexican history is still a fascinating area of interest that I am continuing to explore.
I grew up in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Los Feliz. Los Feliz, as many parts of LA, has a rich Native American, Spanish and Mexican heritage. That western history has carried over to the architecture and decor and food of Southern California which surrounded my childhood. I was fortunate to attend Immaculate Heart High School which had a strong fine art focus as did its sister school, Immaculate Heart College. Well known as the home of SR Corita Kent, IHM. So well known for her iconic artwork. I'm very lucky to own a couple of her pieces.
Art was a natural part of my life, with both my family and schooling supporting all types of arts. When I look back, my parents were so supportive of art and creating. I realize that we had a painting of the Taos pueblo in our home since before I was in school. My father loved paintings and art in general. Among others, I also remember a large painting of a marketplace in Mexico in the 1940's. I still own both of these paintings.
I've always been fond of handmade items especially Southwestern, Mexican tourist items where the hand work and craft is so apparent. Poland has this tradition of hand crafting as well. The tooled leather work is a prominent craft, which I love. Both of my parents were creative and encouraged me and my two siblings to create. My first art class, that I can remember, was at Barnsdall Park, in Hollywood, in one of the old buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It was a few blocks from our home. I believe I was about 5 years old in that first art class. Years later, I had a watercolor art piece of mine in the annual Barnsdall Art Show they used to have. I was surprised to see my piece chosen to hang inside the gallery. There were many other artworks hung outside on many pegboard easels. I was honored and thrilled.I attended Otis Art Institute (then affiliated with Parsons School of Design) and focused on fashion design. I entered the garment industry and worked in it for ten years as a clothing designer. That period also included textile and graphic design as well as some fashion magazine publishing which incorporated styling and creating editorial content.
I left the garment industry to pursue painting. At that time, that led me to murals, interior paintings, portraits, home and retail interior design and set design for theater productions around the Southern California area. Design was my focus until about 2009. I started painting my southwestern imagery. I also enjoy time in my second studio in the wine country of Temecula, California, a landscape equally steeped in the Early California esthetic.
In my still lifes and my latest "Personal Space" series, I focus on painting the handmade vintage or antique southwestern pieces that, to me, showcase the talents of the hand crafters who created them including the tourist souvenirs and western saddles in an intimate perspective. The cowboy and these carved leather "tools" are synonymous to me. Doesn't a cowboy need to have a saddle to be a cowboy? We see the cowboy in his natural beautiful setting on a horse. The cowboy's view is his saddle. The foremost important and very personal tool. These "tools" are so unique and significant to the cowboy life.
My larger format "personal space" series is really up close details of vintage and antique hand tooled saddles and worn leather goods which show the details of handcrafting with the patina of age, use and wear. To me these items are often overlooked because of being utilitarian or tourist trinkets or plain worn out. My paintings are representational from afar and as you look closer there is an abstract, painterly quality to them. I love and highlight the composition of these artifacts and how they flow in the canvas. So often the historic cowboy is depicted in a beautiful landscape but the cowboy is living in that saddle. His view and physical experience is up close and personal with that item. That saddle gets molded to that cowboy through all those landscapes.
In my landscapes and southwest paintings, I hope to evoke the mood of a time gone by. I do enjoy a bit of humor in some pieces, some still lifes and in my "Headwest" group of characters.
The Southern California, Early California history, Spanish, Mexican, Native American, Southwestern, Western, and New Mexican history is still a fascinating area of interest that I am continuing to explore.
These are the two southwestern paintings that were in my childhood home.
Thank you for visiting my painting site! I appreciate you spending your time here!
-Danuta
Please check out my other sites:
https://www.instagram.com/danutatomzynski/https://www.facebook.com/danutatomzynskiartSmaller originals and prints, etc:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DanutaTomzynskiMy fabric designs and home furnishings:
https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/danuta_tomzynskiRancho Del Vinedos Temecula, CA site
https://sites.google.com/site/ranchodelvinedos/Member of these artist groupsWAOW Women Artists of the WestAWA American Women ArtistsCGA Cowgirl Artists of AmericaCAC California Art Club OPA Oil Painters of America
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