portfolio

painting collections / série obrazů

come sit with me / 2025

A collection of mixed media paintings on paper inspired by the feeling of “mono no aware” (物の哀れ), a Japanese idiom for the awareness of impermanence or transience of things, and both a transient gentle sadness at their passing.

This collection expresses the feeling of intimacy through the scenes with anonymous figures, in which we can recognize ourselves or which we can dream ourselves into. Each painting’s name is a song title that reflects its mood. With a soft glow and hazy details they capture the fragile beauty of little moments that make our everyday life a bit sweeter.

when days are long / 2025

trees and poems / 2024-2025

flowers / 2017-2023

landscapes / 2017-2019

Sofia-Tamara Shmidt

MY STORY

I have been a fine artist since young age. Growing up surrounded by poster-prints of famous paintings gave me an understanding that art can have a strong affect on our sense of aesthetics and visual harmony. The magical sensation! I remember myself spending so much time just staring at those posters, glued with the duck-tape on the inside of the glass doors of the bookcase… Flora by Rembrandt or Under the Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai… Later I admired Ukrainian artists Vladislav Erko and Evgenia Gapchinska.

Zhytomyr, a city in the north of Ukraine. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon when my father brought me to the school where my first art class took place. I was 5 years old and probably because at home I was drawing most of the time my parents decided to support it and give it a chance. I remember the excitement! Intriguing scent of paint in the cozy sun-soaked quiet classroom and gorgeous old lady with the kind smile on her face... I felt in the right place, like coming home. I started to attend those art classes and spend almost a decade learning and honing my skills with the help of great teachers and established painters. Some of them happened to be my neighbours, so it gave me a unique opportunity to watch them at work and getting to know and understand them.

My mother is also a painter/illustrator, and seeing her artfully working with aquarelles, using a beautiful collection of brushes, creating paintings and drawings that bring others joy - had a big impact on me. I used to visit local galleries and tried to understand why some paintings spark excitement; why they seem so profoundly soulful, moving and inspiring, while others are just skilfully and well made pictures, just a barren reflection of reality with no further meaning or feeling attached.

After graduating the art-school I started to work on detailed monochrome graphics combining them with watercolours. Some evenings I listened to the Jazz Classics radio and draw… That’s when I realised that I actually can translate music and words into colours. 

I had exhibitions in Prague cafés, illustrated collection of poems My Betlem written by Ondřej Hník and for the publishing house Bor also illustrated his book called Last Night with M. (2014). I am the author of some CD covers (Awali). 

I also share my skills and knowledge with beginner artists during annual and semestral painting/drawing courses and in workshops for companies, groups and individuals in my atelier+. For more information email me on: art@sofiatamara.com

CZ

Sofia-Tamara, kosmopolitní multidisciplinární umělkyně, která neustále hledá ten nejpřesnější a nejpravdivější způsob komunikace se světem prostřednictvím rozmanité umělecké tvorby: skrze malbu, hudbu, poezie a fotografii.

V průběhu 8 let studovala akademickou malbu a kresbu, ale díky tomu, že její sousedy a přátelí byli také nezávislí malíři, měla možnost pozorovat tradiční i moderní umění takřka v živém přenosu a tak rozšiřovat své horizonty.

Od roku 2013 vyučovala malbu a kresbu pro dětí a dospělé v pražském ateliéru a v roce 2020 společně s manželem založili vlastní ateliér v Brandýse nad Labem (atelierpozitiv.cz), kde pořádá výtvarné kurzy a workshopy.

Vystavovala v pražských i brandýských kavárnách a také na různých pop-up výstavách; ilustrovala básnickou sbírku Můj Betlém Ondřeje Hníka a pro nakladatelství Bor - knihu Poslední noc s M. (2014).

SHOP

If you are looking for paintings, which will decorate your home, studio or office, consider purchasing the original artwork or a print. This paintings will add more colour, positive energy and authentic emotions to your everyday life. If you are interested in a purchase or if you have any questions regarding specific size/ other details, please send me an email to art@sofiatamara.com and I’ll be happy to help :)

• In case you want to order a customised painting, prices start on 100 eur and the exact price will be calculated depending on size of the canvas and the amount of work it’ll require. So please, don’t hesitate to contact me via art@sofiatamara.com so that we can come up with the best and most suitable solution personally for you.