University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń, Poland

2000-2005 Master of Fine Arts, received an honoured diploma in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts

additionally at the University:

2003-2005 minor certificate in Painting in Architecture

2002-2004 Computer Graphic and Design

2003-2005 diploma of completion of a Teaching Methodology Course, obtained professional teaching qualification

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Before University: High School in Łomża, Poland (Państwowe Liceum Sztuk Plastycznych). I was 5 years at the artistic school, completed with Diploma equivalent to GCSE level.

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After University...

I started working as a part-time Graphic Designer during my University, for Nomet, a big company in Toruń (2004). After finishing University I moved to Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. For the next 5 years I worked there as a Graphic Designer for smaller creative firms and later also for big International Company, Euro RSCG (now Havas). 

I made projects (mainly for printing) for leading companies: Nivea, Nestle, Whirlpool, Danone, Timotei... Also, famous Polish companies: Żubrówka, Nomet.

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During those years painted in weekends at home and later in my artistic studio. Also became an active member of The Union of Polish Artist and Designers (ZPAP), regularly I had self-exhibitions and additionally participated in many group exhibitions.

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Freelance from 2010

5 years after finishing University and working in Advertising Agencies, I decided to be Art Freelancer. I spent a lot of time in my studio in Warsaw, made paintings. I exposed my art on many self and group exhibitions, mainly in Warsaw. Last time  I showed my artworks in Blackhall Library in Edinburgh, Scotland. Also in the city, I exposed my artworks at Scottish Design Exchange in Ocean Terminal. Made a lot of murals in Poland, but also in Switzerland, for public (hotels, restaurants) and private places. Furthermore, I taught people of different ages (between 9 and 69 no limits) in artistic skills. I became an originator and coordinator of open airs of painting and drawing for amateurs of art. Additionally, I have been cooperating with professional restorers, mainly responsible for a renovation of old paintings on altars in churches.

 

Since 2017 I own Pinkhat, the creative studio in Livingston, Scotland, where I keep myself busy and active all the time. I cooperate with Publishing House Medical-Education (Warsaw) making for them illustrations and book-covers, I create paintings, drawings etc. for future exhibitions. Also, I teach there one-to-one artistic skills people of different ages.

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Psychology as a hobby

Psychology is one of these ways: mostly I have been fascinated by Carl Gustav Jung's analysis. That's why in 2016 I participated in Process Oriented Psychology: psychotherapeutic and social issues, including 120 hours of theory and exercises in a small group of 9 people. I have been reading psychologic books regularly and probably never stop.

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My philosophy

• Do what I love, to then stay a happy and fulfilled person

• Take what I need to develop myself from other people's experience and share my own with them

• Give people the best I can share, in attitude and skills

• Through action, not through empty words, I shape my soul

• Respect myself, respect people, respect life

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Services

• Everything connected with drawing and painting: on canvas and paper, on a computer...

• Murals for restaurants, hotels, private clients: from concept till creation

• Graphic Design: wacom tablet and Adobe Suite are my tools, sometimes I make short animations, regularly make illustrations for books, also websites on Wix as shown here

• Organising and managing various artistic workshops and other creative groups

• Teaching of various artistic skills for different ages and abilities

• Cooperation as a Freelancer with various firms with artistic profiles across numerous subjects: Advertising Agencies, restoration firms, creative studios...

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If you have any enquiries, you are very welcomed to contact me.

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Reference:

"I have been working with Monika Skarzynska more than ten years. As a Graphic Designer, she is always thorough and perfect in her work and is always on time with her projects. She understands an individual needs of our customers. During realization projects, she remembers both practical suggestions of clients and about her graphic-artistic skills.

Personally, she is very friendly, kind person with a positive attitude, open for people. The key advantage is that Monika often combines computer graphics with drawing skills. With all Monika's projects I was very happy and satisfied.

Also, I want to point out that my daughter, Dominica, regularly had been visiting Monika's artistic studio in Warsaw. For more than three years, Monika had been giving Dominica lessons from painting and drawing and imaginative exercises. They both like each other very much.

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I definitely recommend Monika and her graphic-artistic skills.

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Sincerely,

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Andrzej Jablonski

Owner of Medical-Education, Medical Publishing House in Poland, Warsaw"