Mila Rossi is a Colorado-based mixed-media artist whose work explores the intersection of abstraction and nature. Her process merges photography and painting, combining organic shapes and magnified textures to create richly layered compositions. She studied at Colby College in Waterville, Maine; Spéos School of Photography in Paris, France; Sorbonne Paris IV in Paris, France; and earned her Master of Arts from Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Rossi has been selected to participate in artist residencies in Maussane, France and at Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, Colorado. She exhibits nationally and internationally, and her works are in private and business collections. Rossi works out of her studio at SAW, the Studio for Arts and Works, in Carbondale, Colorado.
Statement
I find my inspiration in nature. My artistic process begins by looking for interesting textures, colors and patterns. I capture a magnified image and, up close, the familiar becomes new, abstract and magical. Lichen or moss transforms into an aerial view of a forest or appears like an underwater landscape. With the richness of paint, the images come alive with tactile layers and amplified colors.
I am fascinated with unconventional beauty and art that diverges from what is expected. I like the transformative qualities of working with mixed media. Through painting, I can transcend the limitations of a photograph. I "paint" with photographic patterns as I would a color of paint on my palette. By merging photography and painting, I can blur the boundary between what is real and abstract.