One of the paintings from the new exhibit of work by artist Kirsten Stromberg in the Upstaars Gallery at Mesa Public Library through Oct. 12. Courtesy photo

The public is invited to meet the artist Kirsten Stromberg at the Opening Reception for her new exhibition at 5-7 p.m. today in the Upstairs Art Gallery at Mesa Public Library. Light refreshments will be served.

Stromberg has been drawing and painting nearly her whole life. The expertise she brings to her work is obvious.

“Many of my earliest memories are of drawing; are those of having artistic materials in my hands,” Stromberg said. “I love to look out at the world while keeping my hands moving. I have always wished to pursue what it is that the eye sees, and how our minds synthesize direct sensory perceptions into images that convey our humanity at the point of its intersection with the natural world.”

Stromberg began a more guided study of art beginning at age 11, when she was allowed into the atelier of Ernst Krupp, while her family was living in Germany. She went on to study at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, and received her degree in Fine Arts from Chapman College.

She works primarily in oils, but enjoys exploring other media as well. “Oil painting has been a medium that has been important to me since the age of ten. I feel at home with both brush and palette knife,” she said. “Nature, in its many manifestations, compels me to paint landscapes, wildlife, and the human form in a process where I suspend verbal thought, seeking to express gesture directly as well as to reveal both static and dynamic forces via light, shadow and color.”

“Major influences include traveling, with the conscious goal of learning about other cultures, both in terms of history and in terms of what artists are creating today.  I have been inspired by cave-paintings; have been thrilled by current installations.  I have also been influenced by classical musicians, writers, sculptors, dancers, and other painters whose daily habits create a foundation from which excellence has the potential to emerge.”

The work that is part of the exhibition reflects all of the myriad inspirations.

Stromberg also often finds inspiration the “calls for entry” at Fuller Lodge Art Center. Her work has been part of several shows recently, including “Pulse.” Amy Bjarke, who organizes the exhibits and fairs for the Art Center, said “we try to design our exhibits so that people find a connection to things in their everyday lives. I know Kirsten is also a musician, so she found that music-art connection in the Pulse show.”

 The exhibition will be on view in the Upstairs Gallery from Sept. 1-Oct. 12. The Gallery is open during regular Library hours. The Upstairs Art Gallery at Mesa Public Library hosts shows by local and regional artists, as well as travelling exhibits, 10 to 12 times each year. For more information about the Gallery, call Katy Korkos at 505.662.8247 or visit the Events page on the Library website, losalamoslibrary.org.