Life & Work with Kim Polomka

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Polomka

Hi Kim, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Certainly a long and winding road…
Transported from Adelaide South Australia in 2000 and landed in Colorado Springs, put my fine art painting on the back burner and reinvented myself specifically concentrating on exterior murals. My first mural was the 250 yr Mozart mural 2004 and have completed 8 murals in downtown Colorado Springs to date. I have also completed 8 historic murals in Wickenburg Arizona 2019-2024. The best PR of course is having ones’ work in the public Arena.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Working on exterior mural does present issues…site and environment. for example, I painted the first Olympic Committee mural 36’ x 300’ 20 ‘ high 17 degree on a pitch corrugated rusted metal roof. I have painted on this surface this twice, a physical and environmental challenge.
The audience for this mural is travelling north on i-25…there is an angle to consider which necessitates enlarging text etc so the from the view it looks proportionally correct.
Another challenge was working in a very busy cafe/bar environment. I would take the opportunity to work before the business opened and then at night, but it certainly got very rowdy especially when you mix beer with cowboys..
My last mural completed in march 2024 required the construction of a platform on top of a roof with access via a ladder. The advantages were less distractions from the public, but to have a gauge re progress needed to be on ground zero. There was the scaffording infrastructure which made in difficult to see the work in progress.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
The public artist and the private artist. Recently I have been commissioned to do more historic work to enlighten a public about the history of their environment. I love huge scale in contrast with small scale.
I am quite found of my fine art paintings watercolors and colored pecils renderings. My love of detail can be overwhelming indeed, reminds me of the beaded tapestry, I never plan paintings they evolved and this can be a tricky way to create whereas the mural has already been designed and approved.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I prefer to take advantage of opportunity, research and knowledge instead Luck. Luck is created.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kimpolomka.com