Michele Kambolis’ mixed-media paintings are visual studies of paradoxes.  Her works stand in the gap between nature and man, perception and reality, balance and energy, and abstract and figurative, making the viewer question whether these concepts are contradictions or one in the same.  The paintings illustrate that human consciousness teeters between the natural, visual world and one’s perception of it.  

In long streaks of color, Kambolis drags and blots the wild landscape and natural beauty of Western Canada onto her canvas.  The result is a scene so rough and grainy it embodies the fast-and-furious look of an abstract-expressionist painting.  This visceral representation pushes the viewer beyond a simple appreciation for natural beauty and toward a deeper connection with the land. Working sand and silver dust into her paint, Kambolis further extends the link between natural elements and depiction of nature.  These modeling agents build texture and movement in the paint.  At times, the paint and mixed media travel beyond the edge of the canvas, acting as a built-in frame.