TESTIMONIALS

After many decades of summering in the Windermere Valley, my wife and I permanently settled
here upon our retirements. One of our wishes for our new home was an art piece featuring the
iconic Mount Nelson that silently guards this valley. But its breathtaking prominence wasn’t our
only motivation. The mountain also holds special significance for our family as I was fortunate
enough to climb it with my cousin and a good neighbour. That experience—both its physical
demands and its spiritual rewards—could never be adequately expressed in words. So, I knew
that capturing Nelson’s timeless majesty and mysteries in a two-dimensional medium would be a
tall order for any artist.
How fortunate we were to discover local artist Paulina Tokarski, whose work we first
encountered at Effusion Art Gallery in Invermere. There we saw a Mount Nelson piece she had
done. It was spectacular, but, alas, was already sold. Because her artwork so effectively
conveyed nature’s subtleties in a way that was more suggestive and evocative than “post-
cardish,” we decided to approach her about a possible commission. Heather Cuell at Effusion
helped us do exactly that.
And what a marvelous decision it turned out to be. Working with Paulina on this commission
has been a joy. For one, she was collaborative and consultative throughout. She sought our
input, but enriched and complemented it with her own artistic vision and experiential knowledge,
including the fact that she too had summitted Nelson and therefore had a deeply personal
connection to the subject matter. Even the business details of the commission were painless.
Paulina finished long before she promised, and her pricing was appropriate to the size and nature
of the piece. Most importantly, the final product is magnificent and exceeds all our expectations.
Her colour palettes, her chosen medium (alcohol inks), her experience climbing the mountain,
and her artistic skill truly have captured the essence and nuances of Mount Nelson.
In his work “The Lonely Land,” Canadian poet A.J.M. Smith describes the paradoxical beauty of
nature this way: “This is the beauty/of strength/broken by strength/and still strong.” Paulina has
powerfully echoed this truth in her commissioned piece for us.
If you’re looking for an artist who has the understanding and talent to poignantly interpret nature,
my wife and I couldn’t recommend her more highly.
Mark A.

We’re back home in Colorado and wanted to let you know that your painting has found a very appreciative home. We’re thrilled with your artwork. It was a pleasure to meet you. We hope to someday add more of your work to our collection.

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Leslie & Gil Rudawsky

Paulina is so generous in sharing her knowledge of working with alcohol inks!

I appreciate how she provides just enough information to get started and then encourages us to “go with the flow”.  She is such a great cheerleader and encourages one to focus on the   “happy mistakes” - so freeing for those of us who strive for our version of perfection. 
Time spent in her studio flies by and I am grateful for the opportunity to be completely immersed in the moment and the process.  

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Nesta

I was thrilled to purchase an original painting from Paulina when she visited the coast with her family last fall. Following that, I proceeded to buy several of her prints which where shipped on time and without incident for holiday gifts for delighted family and friends. I love the whimsical nature of her art and how she imbues her passion for the outdoors with every brush stroke and drop of paint.

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Yasmeen Grant

COMMISSION TESTIMONIAL

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We first saw Paulina's artwork in the summer of 2020 during a family trip to Invermere. While our children played at the Kinsmen beach, my husband and I took turns going back into the Pynelogs Gallery to marvel at Paulina's unique and utterly captivating style. We debated purchasing one (any, all) of the pieces on display but common sense prevailed and we went home empty handed. Over the next few months, we couldn't get Paulina's work out of our heads and finally decided to inquire about one of the pieces we had fallen in love with. Naturally it had just sold.

We decided to turn our misfortune into an opportunity to commission something that reflected our Central Kootenay landscape and contacted Paulina by email. From the very beginning Paulina was a joy to work with. After several emails and a phone call, we were left with the difficult decision of what exactly we wanted to commission. Paulina guided us through this difficult process and helped us to narrow down ideas, styles, and sizing. She also was extremely patient when we would occasionally drop off the radar to mull over another possible idea or view.

We finalized our plans in the early summer of 2021 and by the fall we were the proud owners of Ad Natura and The Soft Side of Me II. During the painting process Paulina was fabulous at providing regular updates, as well as multiple mini-versions to test out some of our hunches and suggestions. I cannot speak highly enough of Paulina as both an artist and as a genuinely lovely person to work with. When I look across the room at Ad Natura I am immediately drawn to memories of spending time at the lake with my family, and the pressures of the moment fade under remembered sunshine, breezes, and moments of peace. This was our first foray into commissioning artwork, and while it was a long road it was worth every moment of the wait.

Mallory Simon

We were introduced to Paulina Tokarski at the Mountain Markets in Canmore, Banff and Invermere. My wife and I have a significant art collection so we are not usually looking for new work, however, I kept returning to Paulina’s booth week after week. There is a depth, soul and flow to her paintings of the mountains that is difficult to ignore.

As our conversations continued, Paulina was clearly listening to all of the elements and palettes that we liked as we looked at her original works because suddenly a beautifully matched pair of paintings appeared. She hit every note in what was a long series of conversations drawing on her extensive hiking experiences melded them with ours. Our new paintings are visually stunning and integrate beautifully with the light flows over the days and seasons in our home. Their depths and textures reflect meaning, experiences and emotions that are wonderful reminders of our surroundings.

I believe that Paulina Tokarski is an emerging artist of exceptional vision and talent. We are very pleased to hang her work in our home.

Roger & Cathy Pierson 

Canmore AB

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Not only does Paulina create beautifully unique and interesting alcohol/ink pieces,
she shares her gifts in warm and relaxing art classes.
I have learned so much about the medium and have been inspired by her experience and enthusiasm. I would highly recommend Paulina to anyone interested in exploring a new art path.

Sue Porlier

Paulina’s art is magical.  From the first piece I bought there was an energy and joy to it.  There is a mystical quality to her work that I adore.  She is always finding inspiration and creating such wonderful new pieces.  I love talking with her about her art. Such a fantastic artist.

Joyelle

Within minutes of seeing "In the Bliss of the Wave", I knew I had to have it! The vibrant colours and textures are beautiful and we feel so lucky to have such an incredible piece of art grace our home. Thank you, Paulina.

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Katie Clarke

Paulina appears to be very passionate about her work as it was very evident with her expressions of excitement, pride and accomplishment while spending significant time explaining the process of creating alcohol and ink art. Thank you very much as it was much appreciated and more importantly; your art is awesome, creative and beautiful. Your artistry is much to be admired.

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Barry Nameth