Award-winning artist Kimberly Godinho not only creates breathtaking pieces in an array of mediums, but also illustrates children’s books, teaches art in multiple subject matters, and commissions murals and other projects across the country. What’s more, she’s the owner and founder of The Painted Cork in Folsom and Sacramento. With a goal to produce even more art, Godinho’s future is looking bright.     

HLB: How’d you get your start in the arts?  

KG: I started wearing glasses when I was two years old, and as a way to strengthen my eyes and avoid surgery, my mother had a constant string of art projects for me to work on. This was never a torturous act; I loved every bit of it! Over the years, I developed my drawing skills and was considered the “artist” of the family. In high school, I excelled in art and even earned a couple of scholarships. I attended Ringling College of Art and Design where I obtained my bachelor’s degree in fine art and graduated with honors. During my time there, I won numerous grants and scholarships, including the New York Studio Residency Program, where I got to live and work in New York City my junior year. I loved it! 

HLB: Do you HAVE a FAVORITE medium? 

KG: I’ve enjoyed and dabbled in all aspects of art and have welcomed the skills that came with it—oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, colored pencil, stone carving, wood and plaster sculpture, and printmaking. I’ve always tried to develop myself as a “jack of all trades” when it comes to creating art, and I like to claim no single medium as my one and only. As the years progressed, I developed an ironclad love for teaching art, which has led to my current status as owner and operator of The Painted Cork.

HLB: Where do you seek inspiration?  

KG: I find inspiration everywhere and in all aspects of my busy life; however, when I have time, I love to be in nature. The beach, lake, mountains, rivers and any other place where I can find peace are great places to clear my head and find inspiration.

HLB: How do you interpret that inspiration into your work? 

KG: I’m constantly in search of images for our classes [at The Painted Cork] and am inspired by the beauty of day-to-day subject matters and simplistic compositions. I have a series of paintings called Journal Pages where I’m inspired by words, poetry and the construction of words and images to make different meanings. I paint these in thick and thin textures of different mediums and consistencies; their surfaces are like frosted cakes with gooey drips of information. I also have a series called Coin Paintings, which originated from my father’s passing where he left me a small coin collection. Studying these tiny treasures, I unearthed an obsession with how the surface metal of old coins can become a dusty montage of scrapes and earth tones; or, if perfectly preserved, they turn into the most beautiful color combinations imaginable. They’re each individual, unique masterpieces, and I love trying to mimic their beauty in paint.     coinpaintings.us

by Heather L. Becker // artwork images courtesy of Kimberly Godinho, artist photo by Dante Fontana © Style Media Group