Julie Shymansky

Thank you for taking an interest in my paintings! I am a self-taught abstract artist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I dabble in oils, inks, acrylics, metallics, and resins.

I think I’ve always been an artist at heart, though my artistic path has sharply veered and swirled around a bit over the years. When I was in kindergarten in 1967, the local newspaper was doing a story called “Art Knows No Age Limits.” A reporter randomly interviewed me and asked me a fair question about my drawing: “What are you drawing?” he said. I had not yet completed my picture and I answered, “How do I know until I am finished?” It was an honest response, not intended to be smart, and it still makes me laugh. I think of that response often as I am working through a painting that has sharply veered off my initial path and it reminds me to take faith in the fact that I will know what I am painting when I am finished!

Fast forward many decades: from grade school to high school at Mount De Chantal in Wheeling, West Virginia; from West Virginia University to Duke Law School; and from entertainment law in Los Angeles to IT related in-house legal work in Pittsburgh. One thing, though, has remained constant. I have been painting for over 25 years. It has been a great work/ life balance for me. When I first started painting, I focused mostly on oils. Over the past few years, I have been more prolific and have enjoyed experimenting with all kinds of mediums (acrylic, ink, resin, and metallic.) I particularly enjoy doing mixed media pieces. I’ve always been drawn to abstract florals and landscapes filled with color.

I am definitely drawn to drama in my pieces, yet at the same time I do seem to be pulled in by the natural grace and tranquility of land and seascapes. I find the soft and gentle pastel expressions and natural elements very grounding for my abstract work. Flowers always inspire me. I am moved by their colors, transparency, dynamic energy and their grace of form. With both drama and tranquility equally pressing for their due in my mind, I hope to project an overall "balance" in my works of flora, forms, land and seascapes. Because of the dynamic nature of my subject matter and color choices, many of my paintings translate particularly well to "super-sized" fine art prints.

My goal as an artist is to make my paintings sing with color and fill them with beauty, light, movement and joy. I love it when people connect with one of my pieces and want to see that painting every day in their home or office. One of my favorite compliments was from a friend who recently purchased a large beach inspired oil painting from me entitled “Peace of Mind.” She said: “Peace of Mind” will be perfect in our house! On the first morning walk that I took on the beach, I felt like I was walking through your painting!” To me, that said everything.

Please email me directly to purchase original paintings or Fine Art Prints: julie@julieshymansky.com