EskandaloAbstract painter and Allentown native Nina Boodhansingh has always had a passion for art, yet still entered her college career without much formal instruction or a substantial portfolio. She must have done something right, however, because in 2010 she was awarded a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Painting from Kutztown University, and since then she has been featured in four solo exhibitions. Currently Boodhansingh has plans to show her work in Philadelphia’s coffee shops and at the Open House events being held monthly at the Cigar Factory.

Boodhansingh joined the Cigar Factory in February 2015 after learning about the Lehigh Valley artist studios provided there while visiting the Bethlehem’s VegFest. “I had nowhere to go with my larger work,” she explains. In her studio she is able to create and display everything from her many four-inch by four-inch miniatures to the large statement pieces she’s been focusing on as of late. In these paintings, the subjects are often celestial orbs suspended effortlessly in natural environments. Others feature abstract, meditative landscapes that are reflections of the artist’s dreams. Equally as important is the texture, and Boodhansingh will work with mediums like acrylic gel paint, polymer varnish, and sand to create the desired surface for her paintings. The end results are always scenes that give the viewer a floating feeling of calm and serenity.

The artist also creates one-of-a-kind earrings and necklaces made out of glass tiles and crystal beads, which are themselves incredible miniature works of art. For more information about Nina Boodhansingh and her work, please visit www.ninabood.wix.com/nina and www.facebook.com/ninaboodart. For more information on The Cigar Factory, visit http://www.cigarfactoryartists.com.