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I'd like to tell you about Visionary Artist, Irene Nowicki's new web site and some of her shows.

Irene's new web site, Rainbow's Edge Gallery, is at: http://www.rainbowsedgegallery.com/ or: www.artbynowicki.com or: www.artbyczarnecki.com, which are the three (current) domain names for her site.

Rainbow's Edge Gallery features Irene's original oil & acrylic paintings, prints and art note cards which can be ordered through the Google pay system. Irene's art works are offered in various categories which include: Jazz, Figurative, Modern and 3-D/Construction.

The Jazz Gallery offers works that are inspired from being involved with music, musicians and Jazz festivals such as the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, Pismo Beach, CA - Jubilee By The Sea, San Diego Jazz Festival, Sun Valley Swing 'N' Dixie Jazz Jamboree, Mammoth Lakes Jazz Jubilee, Bix Jazz Festival and many others. Irene has written that: 'This piece 'SAXMAN' was the beginning of my venture into music/musician abstract paintings which all started by attending jazz festivals with my sax-player husband, Jim Richardson. The theme material seems endless given all the aspects of music and instruments, etc. and I foresee a lot of paintings on this subject.' And it turns out that Irene has produced over 200 works for her Jazz Gallery so far. The Jazz festivals and performances we attend provide ample stimulation for yet more 'Jazz' images.

Following is the Artist's Statement from Irene's recent solo show, JAZZED, at Orlando Gallery in Tarzana:

The inspiration for these paintings comes from attending Dixieland Jazz shows where my husband performs. I was moved by that 'foot stomping, hand clapping, knee twitching, head shaking, feel good' music and decided to use 'Dark Humor' to interpret and depict the fun and absurdity of Jazz language in my paintings.

'SAX MAN', the very first painting in this series, represents the 'illusion' of Jazz: fun'not perfect! I was feeling the abstraction of Jazz and seeing it on my canvases. 'This is right!''It felt good, as each image appeared'.combining realism and surrealism. The base drum, in 'THE BEAT', explodes with energetic enthusiasm while the coronet plays on with carefree abandon! The vibrant play of its colors demonstrates all the wild and joyous magic of artistic improvisation. In 'BOOGIE WOOGIE', the couple's heads are lost in the music while their feet dance to a different beat! 'CANARY' is sharing her soul with us. 'MORNING AFTER' is what it is! In 'TRIANGLE', the piano man pines for the singer, the singer longs for the banjo man and the banjo man is oblivious to all but his music. 'PATCHES' is the comic absurdity of Jazz. 'CONEY ISLAND WASHBOARD' and 'AMERICAN JAZZ' came after fateful September 11!

Welcome to my sphere of Jazzed out Art.

'The gods are laughing at us.' ~ Irene

Of Irene's paintings, others have written:

Valley-based painter, Irene Nowicki, takes the viewer to the outer limits of her genre. Nowicki creates a world where biomorphic surrealism is king.

In these paintings, Irene pushes around blob-like forms and extroverted color schemes. The sum effect is often an illusionary sense of three-dimensionality, with ambiguous objects flung into murky spaces. Elsewhere, more of a sense of pure, flat design prevails.

'T. TIME VIOLET' depicts a squirming, gelatinous organism set against a background pattern of purple leopard shin. It puts us in mind of early '70s graphic sensibility, as if this is art influenced by lava lamps and micro-close-up films of cell division.

The focus of "THREE LANTERNS" is on the evocation of dreamlike dimensions., where visual relationships are fluid and reality is moot. We get glimpses of references to familiar images, whether hints of floral subjects or the rationality of architectural space. But they remain hints, teasing the eye into unfulfilled interpretations that playfully invite the viewer to fulfill from their own creative imagination.

This is Irene's bio:

Though mostly self taught, Irene's formal art education includes private instructions and studies at Pierce College where she received the Leventhal Achievement Awards in both Fine Art and Graphics. Additionally, Irene has attended art classes at Every Woman's Village, studied under Bert Miripolsky, and attends on-going workshops.

'I OPENED THE DOORS OF PERCEPTION AND THE VISIONS FELL OUT'

'Ever since I can remember, I have lived in two worlds: the practical left brain of logic and the mystical right brain of creativity. My Art is the bridge between these two worlds that expresses what I am. My visions are Infinity trying to share itself. The Messages in the art come from beyond my finite self. Some are vague, some are crystal clear. I love using bright colors in order to share my joy in being alive..I am a true artist'the full circle of Creator-Creation-Observer. In sharing my paintings with the public I let go of my Visions and set my sprit free'.

Irene's paintings have appeared in the Los Angeles Times and the Daily News. 'Irene is a Visionary Artist who blends psychic abilities with her natural talent as a fine artist to channel these unique images.' says Joshua Townsend of the T.V. show: Performing Artists From Around the World.

Much can be said and has been said about Irene's work by very gifted and articulate writers/speakers, but we believe that the impression on the viewers of Irene's pieces is all that really matters ' you either love them and want them or you don't. So we invite you to go to Irene's web site and have a look for your self and hopefully order some of Irene's works to enjoy over and over.

Jim Richardson ~ spouse of artist, Irene Nowicki
http://www.artbynowicki.com