I only paint places or things that I’ve personally seen and experienced. Connecting with my subject in real life, feeling the energy and understanding the 3D form, is crucial to me. So I do accept commissions, but not ones that rely only on photo references. For example, I’d love to paint you a meaningful landscape from life, or a still life I can set up in my studio. I can travel for commissioned work as well. Send me an email at alleykocinskiartist@gmail.com if you’re interersted in commissioning a piece!

The term “plein air” is a french phrase meaning “in open air”. When an artist creates en plein air, it means they are creating outdoors, on location.

Painting from life in nature provides a lot of unique challenges - quickly changing light and shadows, seeing paint colors differently in the sunshine or shade, and being impacted by the elements - heat, cold, rain, wind, even bugs.

In my opinion, these factors give plein air paintings a special, raw feeling. The physical authenticity of being created on-location adds something beautifully intangible to the artwork.

I paint both plein air and in a studio setting, and the observations from my plein air work provide deeper insight into my studio work as well.

Small paintings are so versatile! Bigger works need a very specific spot, but small pieces can be styled anywhere! I usually paint on hard panels so you actually don’t even need to frame them. You can simply prop them up on a shelf, or display them on a small decorative plate stand like these.

There’s even these really pretty easel stands!

If you want a traditional frame so you can hang your painting on the wall, I recommend taking the piece to a local frame shop. They’ll have the best quality options and will frame it for you professionally. It can be a bit pricey but it really is worth it.

Of course, you can always frame it yourself too. If you chose to do this, it’s important to never frame an original painting behind glass. If glass is pressed to the surface of a painting, it can get stuck and cause damage. My best advice for framing a painting yourself is to simply remove the glass from the frame and put the painting where the glass was. My painting panels are usually about the same thickness as glass so this swap fits well.

If you have questions feel free to email me!

As a one-woman business, I really appreciate your patience with shipping! I paint using oils which take a few weeks to dry, and I often list new pieces while they’re still wet. I try to get dry paintings sent out within a week or so. If you’ve ordered a new piece that’s still wet, please allow a few extra weeks for drying and varnishing. If you have a specific timeline feel free to email me and I’ll do my best to accommodate!

The most important thing when packing an original painting is to never place bubble wrap, foam, or any plastic-y material directly on the painting’s surface. The plastic can adhere to the paint and cause damage. Protect the painting’s surface with a layer of nonstick parchment paper (cooking paper from the grocery store works great), and then pad it with bubble wrap or whatever you want before boxing it up.

I also recommend adding a rigid layer like a board to protect it further, and make sure not to pack it too tightly to protect any thickly textured marks.