Art Inspired by Purity: Connecting to Childhood, Spirituality

Art Inspired by Purity: In speaking of children as her subjects, Oleszkiewicz explained that her inspiration is faith-based. “We are all created by God. He has put into us a desire to love and be loved. We are all broken people....
Art Inspired by Purity: Connecting to Childhood, Spirituality
"Lilacia Park," oil on canvas. (Courtesy of Marci Oleszkiewicz)
11/23/2013
Updated:
11/23/2013

Charming and chromatic, with hues unexpected, Marci Oleszkiewicz’s use of color and simplicity give her paintings a vibrancy of their own.

Enjoying painting children, Oleszkiewicz would often grab her niece for a model. “Sometimes an idea will come from a new dress I bought at an antique store, and I'll grab my favorite model (my niece Anya) and we will set up a scene in my studio,” she shared in an email interview.

“This is especially fun for [Anya]. What little girl does not like playing dress up? It is also so much fun for me, creating a scene, telling a story,” she said. 

I will shoot hundreds of photos and later work out the best design from all of my references. Other times, I attend recitals, parades, and parties with children and take photographs that I can later use in a painting. My favorite times are just hanging out with kids, being in their world and snapping a picture here and there, capturing them in their natural setting.

 

From the Heart

In communicating the ideas of what Oleszkiewicz wants to portray in her paintings, she starts with the process of observation. “Maybe it’s the introvert in me that can easily quiet myself down and sort of become that fly on the wall and observe,” she said. “I believe in order to see as a painter, we need to observe and compare relationships in order to represent them well onto canvas. We are not only observers of the things around us but also observers of people, relationships, and emotions. 

“There are many ways for people to communicate. In writing, we use words, in music we use sound, in art we use visual imagery. This visual imagery is not simply the object itself, but color, value, design and then, yes, [the] subject matter. 

“I find for me since I am a figure painter, I can use all these elements to communicate with my viewer. Sometimes it is a very intentional feeling or emotion I am trying to communicate, and other times it is more abstract in that my viewer will look at a painting and have so many emotions and memories that reaches their heart in a way I never expected,” she said. 

Growing up, Oleszkiewicz kept a diary. It included where she got her inspiration to paint, and what she wanted to paint or portray: “I remember when I was a little girl I loved writing in my diaries. My entrees were a mix of expressions of emotions and feelings, prayers to God, and then often entrees of length describing the day’s events. 

“Accompanying the latter were often small little drawings of the highlights of the day. Eventually the words in my diaries became fewer and the drawings much larger, taking up more space in the diary than the words. 

“Looking back, I can see now why I love to paint images of children—just being children, enjoying life, living with abandon, curiosity and joy, finding in everything the wonder of life and creation,” she said.

 

Her Inspiration and Message

In speaking of children as her subjects, Oleszkiewicz explained that her inspiration is faith-based.

“We are all created by God. He has put into us a desire to love and be loved. We are all broken people....We all have sin, hurt, shame in our lives, we have a choice to forgive, be forgiven, to love or to hold on to bitterness.

“I paint children because to me they display such innocence, trust, purity and joy. They forgive so easily and live life with a sense of wonder and awe. I love that. Life is short—too short to dwell on the darkness, to hold bitterness in our hearts.

“The heart of a child is captivated by a flower growing in a field, mesmerized by its beauty and wonder. My dream, desire is to reach that same part of my viewers hearts to bring them back to that time in their life when simple wonder of creation brought them delight, joy, and wonder.” 

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