Congratulations to Ryan Gondarowski for earning his place as a finalist in the 6th Edition!

Who are you?

My name is Ryan Gondarowski and I am an America-based fine artist. I was first introduced to art by my grandmother at the age of 12, who taught me to work from life.  My passion eventually led me to study at the Academy of Realist Art in Boston with a one-year scholarship at age 17. Since graduating in 2022, I have continued the study of academic art to this day.

What inspired you to begin creating paintings?

I find painting from life exciting, with all the possibilities and nuances offered by nature. Attempting to understand nature and working though the challenges that come with it is immensely rewarding.

What inspired you to use the human body as a subject matter?

The human body is one of my main inspirations and my fundamental reason to create art. The figure, in particular, is a uniting factor for humans no matter what your background or race is and, above all: it symbolizes absolute beauty. Nude figures give me the opportunity to represent an individual in their most vulnerable and truest form.

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind "Self Reflection"?

Self-reflection was the core value in creating this painting. A large part of this piece was to push the boundary of simply reproducing a setup and turn it into a work of art. The deliberate composition and lighting setup are just as important as the objects themselves. The rabbit is meant to be a representation of myself as a conceptual self-portrait.

Can you walk us through the physical creation of "Self Reflection"?

This piece was done in a highly academic manner, working from large forms to small. The most challenging effect to achieve was to make the fabric bright red without it looking pink. I ended up doing a pure white underpainting and then glazed red over it to achieve the necessary high chromatic level.

How would you describe your work?

My work typically consists of the environment I’m surrounded by. I value aesthetics over everything and design is at the root of everything I create. I usually spend hundreds of hours working on any given piece as I attempt to recreate a 3d form onto a 2d surface in an academic manner.

What is the message you want to send your audience with your work?

I create art for the sake of creation. Most of my work are representations of things I find interesting, often driven by a central theme. The goal of my work is more to ask a question rather than answer one.

What do you feel is your most successful piece to date? Why?

My current most successful work is “opportunity”. My work typically has a low amount of texture.  However, in order to achieve a convincing sand-like appearance, I had to go out of my comfort zone and try something radically different. To get the necessary visual appearance, I crushed up a dried tube of paint and mixed it in with regular paint to get a high level of texture. This has affected my preceding works as my paintings now are beginning to have more of a sculptural quality with larger quantities of paint.

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your paintings?

I’ve gotten some of the best lessons from artistic failure. I’ve learned the hard way why to adhere to good painting practices after watching a piece I was proud of beginning to crack beyond repair. Never paint over oil paint with acrylics if you want it to last!

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

My biggest success was getting a one-year scholarship to an Atelier, being surrounded by so many talented artists and mentors jump-started my artistic journey. After spending a year preparing my portfolio for the contest and eventually winning gave me the motivation and finances I needed to pursue art as a career.

What projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?

Currently on my easel is a pandemic-themed portrait. Being in a dark, depressing environment such as one in which mushrooms grow, inspired me to create a piece in which mushrooms are spouting out of the portrait sitter's head. 

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

I hope to create more large,  life-sized paintings designed to maximize visual impact. My main inspiration since beginning painting has been massive works seen in museums that command the attention of all those who come near.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists/photographers, what is your advice?

There’s no such thing as talent, the key to becoming a great painter is having a strong foundation in drawing. Draw as many things as often as you can.

To view more of Ryan Gondarowski’s work

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