About the Artist
Victoria Smith Gostas is an Air Force brat who traveled the world and found home in Laramie, Wyoming. Her first work of art was in 1998, the multimedia piece titled "Scribbles on the Bottom of the Heirloom Coffee Table." After being encouraged for over twenty years, she majored in Fine Arts at Laramie County community college, where she developed a knack for ceramic sculpture and illustration. Her Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies from the University of Nebraska Omaha included a secondary field in Fine Arts, where she focused on art history.
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After touring the whole state of Wyoming in 2017, Victoria was struck by the wilderness and set out to paint every mountain range she saw. Since then, she has developed her skills in oil painting and expanded to digital drawing and custom logo design. Victoria, along with her husband and two cats, has found ways to turn every tiny apartment she finds into a living gallery and studio.
About my Art
My interest in art and what I produce is a reflection of my adventures in Wyoming and my experiences navigating life. My oil landscapes capture dramatic weather and emphasize the solitude of Wyoming using a limited palette. They turn away from the traditional western style by focusing more on the time rather than the place.
Many of my favorite works answer the question, "What if?" such as creatures in space, the wreckage of a forest fire, and legs on fish or arms on worms. Many of my paintings are produced in non-standard sizes with the intention of not only challenging myself, but also
to give a dynamic and versatile presentation in salon style galleries or one's home.
I started using an iPad to draw as an economic alternative to painting in 2018. Many of my digital comics and illustrations lean to a dry humor by capturing moments in time, like the soul draining feeling of 2:30 on a Monday. Most of my digital drawings are available as prints. My drawing style is heavily influenced by the early prototypes and studies of Georges Seurat and the hatching style of Jack Kirby.