Born in Toledo, Ohio, I have lived across the country in Ohio, Minnesota, and northern and southern California; I currently reside in Concord, CA.
I have had a life-long interest in art. As a grade schooler, I took youth art classes at and explored the galleries of the Toledo Museum of Art on Saturday mornings. I earned a B.A. degree with a double major in Art History and English from Bowling Green State University, and an M.A. degree in Art History from the University of Minnesota. I have also completed college level art studio and graphics courses. I am presently a member of ArtsBenicia, and take classes at Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education.
I work primarily in oil paints and pastels, and have previously done watercolors. My art includes still lifes, plein air landscapes, and figures, as detailed in the pictorial sections on my website. I am also a big fan of art museums and art books, and believe it is important to observe and learn about the work of other artists, past and present (see "Favorites" section on website).
I regularly exhibit my work in solo and group shows around the Bay Area. In its review "Walnut Creek's Bedford Gallery honors local artistic voices," The Contra Costa Times praised my entry in the Bedford Gallery's Local Voice exhibit: "Even traditional subjects can have an edge. Robert Gonsowski's 'Autumn Table' is an almost jolting still life of squash, two of them sliced in half to reveal fat seeds, with a couple of turnips added to the mix." (Robert Taylor, The Contra Costa Times, July 11, 2008).
Please feel free to contact me if you would like more information or have any comments about the website.
Recent Exhibits:
- "San Francisco Bay Wetlands to Ridgetop Exhibit," Flyway Festival, Mare Island, CA (Group show featuring wetlands art, 2009).
- City Hall, Walnut Creek, CA (Group still-life show, 2009).
- "Variations on a Theme," Pittsburg Arts Collaborative, City Hall, Pittsburg, CA (3rd place award in oils/acrylics category. Group show featuring series of works on themes, 2010).
- Imperial Bank Building, San Francisco, CA (Solo shows, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007).
- ArtsBenicia annual auction, Benicia, CA (Group shows, 2003-present).
- ArtsBenicia annual members show, Benicia, CA (Group shows, 2004-present).
- "Local Voice-Defining Community Through Art," Bedford Gallery, Walnut Creek, CA
(Juried group shows I and II featuring Contra Costa artists, 2005, 2008).
- City Attorney's Office, Walnut Creek, CA (Solo show, 2007).
- American Artist magazine's self-portrait competition (On-line group show, 2008).
- Alameda County Fair, Pleasanton, CA (Juried group show, 2008, 2009).
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