October First Friday: 10/6, 5-9pm
November First Friday: 11/3, 5-9pm
December First Friday: 12/1, 5-9pm
Osmosis Gallery's Fall 2023 Show, celebrates the fusion of tradition and innovation through the artistry of two remarkable talents. Join us in exploring their captivating narratives, as geometry meets artistry, and past, present, and future converge in a vibrant display of creativity.
Ukrainian potter Viktoriia Smirnova and the innovative spirit of Tim and Barb Husby bring their art to the gallery for our Fall 2023 show. Be inspired by their journeys and marvel in their works.
Viktoriia Smirnova: A Journey of Resilience and Artistry
One of our featured artists, Viktoriia Smirnova, embodies the spirit of resilience and the power of artistic expression. Hailing from Kharkiv, Ukraine, Viktoriia's journey to Boulder County, where she currently resides as a Ukrainian refugee, is as inspiring as her artistry. She faced immense challenges due to the invasion of her homeland, and her story is one of overcoming adversity.
In the face of these obstacles, Viktoriia found solace and inspiration in the art of pottery. Her passion for creating stunning pieces using the old-world technique of Milk Sealing has become a way for her to pour her heart and love into her work. With every piece she creates, she experiences great joy in shaping the clay with her hands, each artwork uniquely representing her resilience and creativity.
As a self-taught ceramist, Viktoriia specializes in the ancient craft of Milk Sealing, a technique passed down to her by her mentor. This method, which predates modern glazing processes, involves using a blend of milk and beeswax in the finishing stages. This intricate firing technique not only imbues her creations with a distinctive texture and appearance but also waterproofs them through the incorporation of beeswax during firing.
Each of Viktoriia's creations is a true labor of love, meticulously molded by hand without the use of a potter's wheel. Her pieces are not only a testament to her dedication to preserving traditional artistry but also a fusion of her personal experiences and cultural heritage. Every piece she creates is one of a kind, bearing the unique mark of her journey, creativity, and timeless Milk Sealing technique.
We invite you to experience the beauty and resilience encapsulated in her exquisite pottery pieces. Join us in celebrating her remarkable journey and the artistry she brings to our gallery, adding a touch of history, culture, and heartfelt craftsmanship to osmosis.
Tim and Barb Husby: Art Born from Past and Present
Complementing Viktoriia's narrative is the collaborative work of Tim and Barb Husby, a duo whose art is a striking blend of geometry, earthy tones, and innovation. Their creative journey takes inspiration from diverse backgrounds, forging a unique artistic path that bridges past and present.
Barb, with her extensive background in landscape oil painting, learned the art of colors and storytelling from a family of artists. Her career in commercial interior design allowed her to work with a vast palette of colors, sparking her love for creativity and expression. Tim, on the other hand, brings an engineering education and career to the collaboration, which is complemented by his passion for furniture design and building.
Their art is a fusion of these experiences, with a rich combination of materials and forms. Their work, featuring MDF (medium-density fiberboard), softwoods, hardwoods, watercolors, oils, spray paints, stains, and urethanes, presents an innovative take on art. The result is a captivating visual experience where geometrics and free forms dance together, often accented by earthy hues and, at times, vivid splashes of color. Their pieces reflect a constant exploration of new techniques, textures, applications, color schemes, and subject matter.
Living for six years in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Tim and Barb's artistic interests expanded as they explored hundreds of galleries. They examined numerous combinations of materials and art forms, leading to their current work that showcases the beauty of combining different mediums and artistic styles. Their art encapsulates both the spirit of experimentation and the joy of creative collaboration.