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Lithuanian born artist Rasa Poliunaite-Valiene started painting as a young child, using walls, streets and every possible surface as canvas for her expressions. She finished her formal education at the School of Arts in Kaunas, Lithuania, followed by 15 years of work as an Art Designer and Art Teacher in several schools. Living in the United States for the last 6 years, she exhibited her work in Queens, Hoboken, Shoreham’s North Shore Public Library, Village Sillversmith Gallery, Bellport and won The First Award in Annual Open Juried Art show at the Phoenix Fine Art Gallery in Bellport, juried by artist Malcolm Morley, 2004. Her work was widely shown in Europe at galleries in St. Petersburg, Vilnius, Kaunas, Riga and Yalta. Her images appear almost psychedelic, representing music, thoughts and movement. As the Lithuanian Art critic Algis Uzdaviny describes it: "It’s a kaleidoscope of dynamic energies... Rasa Valiene steps over the barrier of rationality and gives herself to the flight of imagination". Lately Ms. Valiene fell in love with Photography and participated in the exhibition dedicated to celebrating the Peconic River and landscape as the inspiring sources at Art Sites Gallery, Riverhead NY, 2010. Ms. Valiene describes her photographic course as: “I've been graced with an organic process that is entirely natural and embodies so much of what I connect to in my life. It all started by just walking with awareness. I'm merely the instrument for these images to surface through and to manifest themselves as Art. They serve as a reminder of the beauty and peace that is here in the instance of the moment of life for all of us to see. They loudly proclaim "Look! I'm here all around you, under your feet, everyday, everywhere. We are the profound splendor of Nature of which You are also a part. The strong emotional response when I come upon these sights is magically captured along with what becomes secondary, that is, the beautiful formal elements created by the light and space. If we will just let go of the hustle and bustle, turn off the constant chatter and be present to what is happening Now. These images captured where we can see elements of Nature simply Being, simply existing and there is a universal beauty in it. It just IS.” Rasa’s hope is that these images will serve as reminders to us of what is out there as well as what is in us. They are the nontraditional mandalas as they are part and parcel of the wonderful, magical designs of the Universe.

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