13 August 2024
Each year, the Polish publishing house upholds a cherished tradition: gathering its community of mouth and foot painting artists together for an annual workshop, dedicated entirely to shared creative growth. This year's edition took place from 9 to 13 June 2024 in Wisła, a town nestled in the scenic foothills of the Beskids — a fitting backdrop for a week devoted to artistic inspiration and development.
A Remarkable Gathering of Talent
This year's workshop drew an impressively large group of participants, reflecting the depth and vitality of Poland's mouth and foot painting community. Full Member Stanisław Kmiecik joined an extensive roster of Scholarship Holders, including Arkadiusz Cyprian, Teresa Frys, Małgorzata Waszkiewicz, Jadwiga Markur, Mikołaj Kastelik, Jan Sporek, Mariola Wower, Marika Kropidłowska, Bartosz Ostałowski, Martyna Gruca, Joanna Sobierajska, Grzegorz Gawryszewski, Miłosz Bronisz, and Staś Salach.
Fourteen artists in total gathered for the week — a substantial and diverse group that speaks to just how many talented individuals within the Polish community are actively developing their craft as Scholarship Holders, guided and supported alongside more established Full Members like Stanisław Kmiecik. This scale of participation also meant that the workshop offered an unusually rich environment for peer learning, with so many distinct artistic voices and perspectives gathered together in a single setting.
Guided by an Experienced Instructor
Leading this year's workshop was artist Mariusz Drohomirecki, whose guidance shaped the direction and spirit of the week for all fourteen participants. Under his instruction, the artists were encouraged to draw inspiration for their paintings directly from the world around them — turning their attention outward, toward the landscapes, textures, and details of their surroundings in Wisła, rather than working solely from imagination or memory.
This emphasis on observational, world-drawn inspiration offered participants a valuable opportunity to sharpen their skills of perception and translation — the essential artistic task of taking in the richness of the visible world and finding ways to render it faithfully and expressively, through paint. Working in a location as naturally beautiful as Wisła no doubt provided abundant inspiration for this kind of observational approach, offering fourteen artists a wealth of scenery, detail, and atmosphere to draw upon throughout the week.
A Week Defined by Motivation and Dedication
Perhaps the most telling detail from this year's workshop is the description of the participants' attitude throughout the week: the mouth and foot painters were highly motivated and committed to their work. This kind of sustained enthusiasm, sustained across an entire group of fourteen artists working together over five full days, speaks volumes about both the value participants found in the workshop itself and the supportive, encouraging atmosphere fostered by Mariusz Drohomirecki's instruction.
For many of the Scholarship Holders in attendance — artists still in the process of building their skills and their careers — this kind of dedicated, focused workshop time offers an invaluable opportunity for growth. Working alongside an experienced Full Member like Stanisław Kmiecik, and receiving direct guidance from an established instructor, gives emerging artists the chance to refine their technique, gain confidence, and deepen their understanding of their own artistic voice — all within a supportive community of fellow painters navigating similar creative and personal journeys.
The Value of an Annual Tradition
That this workshop has become an established yearly tradition for the Polish publishing house speaks to its enduring value within the community. Year after year, these gatherings offer artists a dedicated space to step away from their individual routines, immerse themselves fully in focused creative work, and benefit from both expert instruction and the camaraderie of fellow painters. For a community as geographically dispersed as Poland's mouth and foot painting artists, opportunities to gather in person carry particular significance, offering a rare and valuable chance to learn together, encourage one another, and build lasting professional and personal bonds.
A Fitting Close to a Productive Week
As the workshop drew to a close after five days in Wisła, the fourteen participating artists departed with more than new paintings inspired by the world around them. They departed with strengthened skills, renewed motivation, and the shared experience of a week spent in dedicated pursuit of artistic growth alongside supportive colleagues and an experienced guiding instructor.
This year's workshop stands as yet another successful chapter in the Polish publishing house's ongoing tradition of nurturing its community of mouth and foot painting artists — a tradition built on the simple but powerful idea that creativity flourishes when given the space, the guidance, and the shared company needed to truly thrive.
Source: VDMFK News