A moment of contemplation, 2024

Unguarded, relaxed. The moments in between. I am drawn to observing those close to me and catching these quickly forgotten everyday moments in oil. It is the intimacy between the subject and myself. It is the cup of tea on the kitchen counter gently cooling while we chat. It is their environment and a point in time which will never be captured again that I desire to depict on canvas. Painting predominantly figurative works, I am inspired by the great impressionists, following their example of highlighting scenes within everyday life as being worthy and important. In my work, I want to capture the moment as it is. The background is pared back, like a memory. The focus is on the subject, the emotions, and the connection. I resonate with the simplicity this creates. I find I continually, and somewhat unconsciously, resolve paintings in this manner which is very satisfying to me. I relish in earthy tones of oil paint. These colours are present in my everyday life and reflect the warm tones in those I work with. I paint their daily habits, such as a mid-morning nap or sitting contemplating life, and use the generous natural sunlight around me to light these moments. My works aim to impart a small slice of my life and share it with others. I hope to intrigue the viewer to firstly connect with the simplicity of the composition and colour palette to then be drawn in further to the subject and connecting emotion, to find the depth in the painting. These scenes are not unique and can be identified with by almost anyone. An embrace with a child, eating a bowl of cereal, leaning back on the couch. The viewer, I hope, can resonate with the ordinary and draw on their own context and make a connection with the painting.

Paula Kos was born in country South Australia and spent time in Adelaide and Canberra before settling on the Sunshine Coast in recent years. She honed her artistic skills at every opportunity around a business career and family commitments for the majority of her years. Her move to the Sunshine Coast allowed her to embrace her passion for painting as a fulltime pursuit. Emerging as an artist, entering exhibitions from 2021, she has been selected as a finalist in many art prizes across Australia and sold works in small galleries.

Paula’s work predominantly depicts the human form in oil paint. Her love for figurative art has evolved from her incessant and favorite pastime of drawing her family when she was young. Largely being a self-taught artist, she has been consistent and dedicated in developing her style over many years from exposure to various painting mediums, subjects and methods under the guidance of many award winning Australian artists through workshops and connections. Paula has come full circle returning to what is true in her heart, painting people in their everyday lives. She portrays unguarded moments in time, however ordinary, which we all experience and which are rarely captured, highlighting scenes within everyday life as being worthy and important.