Monika Szilagyi (say as shee-la-jee)
I am compelled to express and create.
I really enjoy it that with a simple design or painting I can bring back a mood, a place, a feeling, and make someone happy.
Using natural textures, color combinations and patterns as inspiration I am bringing the outdoors inside the home, reminding us to slow down, take our time, stop, look around, enjoy the moment and the little things surrounding us.
Acrylic and pastel landscape painting is perfect fit for expressing my vision, I capture my happy places watching the endless countryside, the horizon on the ocean or the middle of nowhere. Being outside a lot and just watching the simple beauty of flowers, trees, clouds or the ten thousand lakes around me always inspire to take pictures, take these moments with me and never forget. As landscape and travel photography has been my hobby for more than 20 years, I have lots of pictures to choose from and paint them… I only need more time.
My abstract paintings are large scale, colorful, natural impressions with bold strokes and 4-5 acrylic layers to give texture. This is the art where I can really open up, dive into colors and play. I am addicted to this “flow” while painting abstracts, I don`t think much, lose control of time, lose self-consciousness but I am fully in the moment, playing with colors, tones, patterns, textures and creating balance and harmony.
Flow is a state of mind – my inner happy place, so I keep going there and keep painting.
I was born in Budapest, Hungary and after living in England, Germany, Austria and New York I have been residing with my family in Maple Plain, Minnesota since 2014.
I have always been a very creative, artistic person, grew up interested in art, design and architecture. After pursuing different careers for decades -like teaching Maths, working as an accountant, learning interior decoration and then being a full time mom- in the last couple of years I had the opportunity to learn glass fusing, jewelry making and acrylic painting in New York and Minnesota.
As an emerging artist I enjoy the endless possibilities of paint, silver and glass. I am constantly experimenting with new techniques, styles and designs, I really enjoy the process how an idea, impression or mood develops into a piece of art.
My commissioned artworks can be found in private collections in the USA and Europe.