23-year-old artist Fiona Krugolets makes works inspired by Coney Island
NEW YORK -- With every stroke of her brush, 23-year-old Fiona Krugolets creates art inspired by her home, Coney Island.
The Brooklyn native has been painting for as long as she can remember. The familiar, intricate landscapes of her neighborhood have long been a muse.
"I love the setting the most when its in its off season and no one is around. It is kind of like a deserted sculpture park," she says.
Many of her paintings that end up on canvases actually start out as a photo.
"I have a pretty good view of the park from my window so sometimes when it would be like a stormy day, I would see it from a completely different light," she says of her apartment building right by the ocean.
Her works feature elements like Deno's Wonder Wheel, the parachute jump, and other architectural landscapes in her neighborhood.
A daughter of immigrants from Ukraine, Krugolets also loves the community of people who call the area home.
"Brighton Beach and Coney Island, is historically a very a predominantly Ukrainian, Russian community," she says.
For her and many others, it feels like an enclave of freedom.
"When I think of Coney Island, I think of not only the beauty, not only the fun aspect... but just the freedom of it, the privilege, and the beauty of just being able to live in America," she says.
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