Dominik Modlinski - Artist

𝗢'𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮: 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝟯𝟳" 𝘅 𝟳𝟮" 𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘃𝗮𝘀)
After over five months in the studio, I have completed the centerpiece painting for my upcoming exhibition, 𝗢'𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆: 𝗔 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗳𝗳. The exhibition marks a significant milestone in my career—celebrating 25 years of representation with the gallery.

O'Hara: Kingdom of Light (37" x 72") will serve as the signature painting of the exhibition, reflecting not only my enduring connection to the Canadian Rockies but also the countless painting journeys that have taken me across the mountains, coastlines, and northern wilderness of Canada.
𝗟𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗢’𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀.
It is a landscape of extraordinary beauty, where unforgettable experiences and personal memories become intertwined with the land itself. Drawing upon several visits to this remarkable place, I sought to create more than a depiction of a mountain landscape. This painting is a tribute to the majesty, mystery, and timeless spirit of the Canadian Rockies, and a reflection on the importance of preserving these wild places for future generations.
With every major painting, I challenge myself to venture beyond familiar solutions and established formulas. I often tell my students that formula painting rarely leads to meaningful work. The most rewarding paintings emerge from a willingness to explore deeply—to trust intuition, visual memory, and lived experience. They require patience, uncertainty, and a commitment to discovery that can unfold over weeks or even months.
Much of this painting was developed from memories gathered during long days spent hiking and painting in the mountains. As the work evolved, I found myself reaching beyond the physical landscape and into the emotional experience of being there—the sense of awe, solitude, light, and wonder that draws us back to these places again and again.