Polish-born Jolanta Soares graduated with B.S. degree in Computer Science and worked as Database Administrator for over 20 years. During that time, she attended numerous art classes and workshops and created paintings during her free time to balance a very stressful and demanding job.
Jolanta moved to the U.S more than 30 years ago and has since lived mostly in Chicago, IL. She works in a variety of media including oil and cold wax, encaustic, photography and ceramics. Today, Jolanta exhibits her work in Chicago and Midwest area galleries.
Jolanta states, "I believe that art is a very powerful therapy and has the gift of healing. I’m an intuitive painter, inspired by self-discovery, relationship with others, life stories, human emotions and experiences. I’m interested in capturing meaningful moments in time and representing them in abstract expressions, mark makings and color on canvas. I put down several layers of paint while experimenting with colors, textures, and markings while using different tools such as brooms, whisks, skewers, pencils etc. The process of adding and subtracting paint is an essential part of the process. By revealing older layers and building up new ones, different feelings and memories are awakened and they eventually lead to finished pieces that speak to me."
Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/jolanta.soares
https://www.instagram.com/jolas_art/
GALLERIES:
Gallery 104, 7 Franklin Place, New York, NY 10013
917-472-9015
https://gallery104.com - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"Is That It?" - Oil & Cold Wax on Canvas, 36" x 48" by Jolanta Soares.
EXHIBITS AND AWARDS:
Solo Exhibition
Just Bee, ClaySpace Gallery, Lisle, IL, 2018
Two-Person & Group Exhibition
Equinox Exhibition, NYA Gallery, New York, 2019
Alliance of Fine Art “Best of the Best” Show, Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oakbrook, 2019
ART DIARIES 2019, 4Art Space, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL, 2019
Moments, 116 Gallery, St Charles, IL, 2019 - Two-Person exhibition, 2019
Homecoming! OPAL Artists in the House, Oak Park, IL, 2018
Redefining Tradition, Ice House Gallery, Evanston, IL, 2018
81st Annual Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Polish Arts Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 2018
Woman Made Midwest Open - Woman Made Gallery, Chicago, IL 2018
If You Only Knew, Old Court House Arts Center, Woodstock, IL, 2018
Light Space & Time, All Women Art Exhibition, 2018
Small works exhibition, The Access Room Gallery, 33 Contemporary Gallery, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, IL, 2017
SALI National Abstract Art Exhibition, Greenwood, IN, 2017
Fam's Annual Regional Juried Exhibition 14, Freeport, IL, 2017
Dangerous Lullabies III, Dole Mansion Crystal Lake, IL, 2017
Bi-Monthly Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst Artists’ Guild Member Show, Elmhurst, IL
Awards:
1st Place, 2018 - Elmhurst Art Guild, Members Show
1st Place, 2018 - All Women Art Exhibition - Light Space & Time, Juror: John R. Math
Merit Award, 2017 - SALI National Abstract Art Exhibition, Juror: John Berry
Interviews:
2018, Featured artist at VoyageChicago magazine
Education:
2018 , School of the Art Institute of Chicago (ACI) : Painting Certificate
2018, Screen Printing onto Encaustic, Jeffrey Hirst
2018, Powerful Design and Personal Color, Pamela Caughey
2018, Sumi-e Workshop: Tarashi Komi Technique, Shozo Sato
2018, Silkscreen and Encaustic Monotype: Discovery through Nature, Structure and Spontaneity, Jeff Hirst & Paula Roland
2018, Ox-Bow, Painting Turned on its Head, Paula Wilson
2018, Art2Life, Creative Visionary Program, Nicholas Wilton
2018, Photopolymer Plate Printmaking and Chine Colle, Jeffrey Hirst 2018, College of DuPage, Ceramics
2018, The Elusive Image, Photo + Encaustic, Sarah Rehmer
2017, 2018 ClaySpace, Ceramics
2017, Encaustic workshop, Jeffrey Hirst
2017, Oil and cold wax painting workshop - Master level, Pamela Caughey
2017, Oil and cold wax painting workshop, Rebecca Crowell
2017, Oil and cold wax painting workshop, Pamela Caughey
2017, Oil and cold wax painting workshop, James Edward Scherbarth
2017, Oil and cold wax painting workshop, Lisa Pressman
2017, Composition, Color & Light, Mary Bents Gilkerson
2016, Oil and cold wax painting workshop, Dianne Martia
2016, Abstract Painting: Order Within Chaos, Emmett Jones
2016, Oil and cold wax painting workshop, Mark Russell
2016 - Present, School of the Art Institute of Chicago: Studio Art and Design Certificate
1996, B.S., Information and Decision Science, University of Illinois at Chicago
Professional Associations:
Society For Contemporary Art, Art Institute of Chicago
Oak Park Art League, Oak Park, IL
Woman Made Gallery
Elmhurst Artists’ Guild, Elmhurst, IL: elmhurstartistsguild.org
Naperville Art League
Studio 630
The Polish Arts Club of Chicago
Oil & Wax
Spudnik Press Cooperative
To learn more about Jolanta Soares, visit https://jolantasoares.com.