The Gilded Edge Opens 'Portraits of the Animal Soul' Fine Art Exhibit Today

The innate beauty, grace and power of wild creatures come to life in a new summer exhibit at The Gilded Edge Gallery through the vibrant paintings and delicate drawings of self-taught artist Jo-Jo Kolodnicki, Jr. The show begins today, July 9th and runs through August 24th. The public is invited to attend a free artist reception on Friday July 19th from 6:00-9:00pm.

A native of Uncasville, Conn., Jo-Jo began exploring his creative talents for fun and relaxation. He honed his natural ability by studying technique in books and art magazines. While his medium alternates between hyperrealism paintings and pen and ink drawings, his subjects are all of the animal world. Fascinated by the inner calm and peace of majestic creatures, Jo-Jo has traveled to zoos throughout New England and as far away as Hawaii to capture the light in an animal's gaze.

Contemplating the subject matter of his work, Jo-Jo tries to be as close as possible without disturbing the animals. "Life in this world is hard. I try to focus on the beauty of the creatures who share the planet with us. They live a truly wild life, and have no voice of complaint. A picture is worth a thousand words. I prefer to just paint the picture and allow the viewer to find the words on their own. Hours may go by before I have enough photos. In this time, I feel a profound sense of peace watching them. It is my hope to share this viewpoint with others. The colors in my paintings are a reflection of my own feelings of these magnificent creatures."

The Gilded Edge is located at 20 Hartford Rd., Salem, CT. Store summer hours Tuesday thru Friday 10am-5pm, Sat, 10-2, and by appointment. Visit online at http://www.thegildededge.com.