My Head Above Water Painting

My name is Stephen Rybacki. I currently reside just outside of Los Angeles, CA. In the spring of 2009 I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at California Polytechnic University Pomona. My goal was to further gain knowledge of media and technical hand skills in painting, drawing, and sculpting. Out of school my focus with my art was to expand my techniques, materials, illustration skills, as well as meet new people in the art community. While moving through my body of work over the last few years, I have found that my strongest asset is texture and media on the surface of my work. I began to develop a love for new material, sheet metal. I spent years experimenting and trying to control rust/oxidation on the surface of the metal, as well as incorporate the rust into compositions on different surfaces. I am currently in the mid stages of establishing my artist voice. My desire to create, and strength in my work, comes from surface textures and natural process results. I have a keen interest in natural oxidation: controlling it as a medium, and its variances on surfaces, and involving “rust” with mixed media. I enjoy isolating the delicate texture and beauty of the natural oxidation process through contrast with another material or surface. Often times a found object initiates my work: by incorporating it directly, imprinting, or as an inspiration to a composition. My process typically includes many layers of media, creating textures the viewer can feel. Most times I construct my own wood canvas, and begin my process with many layers of paper, plaster, and acrylic paint as initial texture. I enjoy when the final layers come organically from the base I have created. The layering in my process becomes peaceful to me, I really escape into the details and immerse myself into the textures. I hope to convey to my viewers the splendor in oxidation and texture that I have a passion for. It’s all around us in our daily lives and often goes overlooked.