New Artist | Valerie Ostenak

Transformation is more than a theme in Valerie Ostenak’s work. It is the pulse that moves through every painting and sculpture she creates. An award-winning painter and sculptor, Valerie brings a sense of movement and light into her art, using layered textures and reflective surfaces that invite viewers to pause and feel.

Growing up in the Arizona desert, Valerie developed a deep connection to water. She understood its quiet power, the way it nourishes life, and how it can reshape the land around it. This connection to water flows through her current work, where sweeping brushstrokes and the shimmer of metal leaf echo the rhythms of nature and the changing sky.

Valerie is a colorist who brings an intuitive sense of space into her paintings. Her work is inspired by the oceans, forests, flowers, and the imagery of the cosmos, all coming together to create a visual language that feels both expansive and intimate. Through her art, she invites us to reflect on our own moments of change and resilience.

Her vibrant abstract paintings have been recognized by public art programs with New Mexico Art in Public Places and the Climate Museum, and her work has flown above Rockefeller Center as part of the UN Environment Programme’s Flag Project. Valerie’s art has also been featured by National Geographic and has partnered with Rolls-Royce Automotive. Her journey has taken her to exhibitions around the world and artist residencies in Italy and the UK.

Before focusing on painting, Valerie built a strong practice in metalsmithing, with her sculptural metalwork appearing in books and magazines on art jewelry and blacksmithing. She has shared her knowledge through teaching and workshops at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and with metalsmithing associations across the country.

At its heart, Valerie’s art is an invitation to pause and reflect. It offers a space where we can consider how transformation shapes us and how beauty often emerges in moments of change. Her paintings bring a sense of energy and calm, reminding us that movement and light are always around us, waiting to be seen.

We are honored to share Valerie Ostenak’s work with you at Osmosis Gallery. Her art opens a quiet space to consider your own stories of renewal, and we hope you will spend time with her paintings in the gallery or in your home.