Artistic Fimicoloud (AKA Stephanie Koslow)
The region in which I live has touched my heart, igniting within me an excitement to share how its incredible beauty makes me feel. I’ve yearned to share my elation when I have stood upon a mountain, wind whipping through my hair or felt the spray of a waterfall upon my face on a late summer’s afternoon. Through my energetic, vividly-colored works, I seek to convey these feelings and much more. Impressionistic in nature, my paintings embody the energy of life, my joy of being here to experience a particular moment….
An avid nature-lover, I found great joy hiking and photographing the nooks and crannies of the Hudson Valley region of New York State, until my life changed – literally overnight. Diagnosed with advanced, metastatic breast cancer, the world was suddenly a very different and terrifying place for me. Seeking solace from the fears that surrounded me, I began to paint. Flowing from some deep-seated force within me, out it poured – color, light, and energy – not mourning what I’d lost, but celebrating the gift I’d been given.
Suddenly, I saw beyond what I had painted – I had found a way to help inspire women in similar situations. To let them know that advanced breast cancer isn’t the end. It can be a new beginning. I began to hear how inspired my fellow breast cancer survivors were by my paintings and my words. How my refusal to be brought down by this dreaded disease filled their hearts with hope and courage too. To let them know they are always in my heart, I’ve hidden within each painting a tiny pink breast cancer survivor ribbon. With this gesture, much loved by all, and through the vast audience of Second Life, I spread a message of hope that touches people around the world.
My love affair with art goes far back into my childhood days. I have always loved to draw and take photographs, and enjoyed an education at the High School of Art and Design in New York City, as well as four years at Parson’s School of Design where I graduated with a BFA. I have a long history with professional graphic design; however, my passions lie in drawing, painting and nature photography.
My paintings are created entirely in Real Life, without the aid of computers. Working in either oil pastels or watercolor crayon on black paper, I begin many of my paintings en plein air, taking accompanying photos for finishing the artwork in my studio. Others are created from photographs taken on past hikes.
Though I have been painting for just over two years, I have shown my art in a number of Real Life galleries in both solo and group shows. Within Second Life, and I have been asked to show my art in galleries and museums owned by people all over the globe.
Please visit my website http://www.hudsonvalleylandscapes.com/
This artist will be displaying artwork in the In-World portion of the SLCC.
