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Zoya Scholis does not mind if you see references to other artists, especially Richard Diebenkorn and Henri Matisse, in her work.
“Picasso supposedly said, ‘Good artists borrow, great artists steal,'” explained Scholis in an email interview with this news organization. Her current exhibition at Bryant Street Gallery, “Divine Feminine,” which includes 17 paintings – mainly portraits and several floral still lifes – encourages viewers to see familiar associations and enjoy her unique take on color and composition.
“I have no problem with viewers seeing whatever they see, intended or not. Paintings are open to interpretation; it’s one of their superpowers,” Scholis said.
Scholis was raised in Monterey and had her first exposure to art through her father, who was a painter. For many years she was a bilingual school teacher before making the switch to full-time artist in 2007. She still combines her love of education and art via Art for Personal Growth workshops that she offers around the Bay Area.
For this solo show, which opened in March to mark Women’s History Month, Scholis focuses on women in various states of meditation and contemplation. The figures, rendered in a generalized manner, are mainly seated with eyes closed or downcast. They are clearly oblivious to outside distractions and deep in thought.
In the late 1800s there was an art movement devoted to portraying women as melancholic and suffering from neurasthenia, a perpetual state of fatigue and disaffection that was often blamed on hormonal fluctuations. Those paintings were created by male artists. When asked how her work compares, Scholis said, “I think the ability to reflect and have an inner life is what it is to be human, which we all know is not always easy. How or why this was assigned as a female trait I’m not sure. Misogyny would have us all think of any ‘feminine’ trait as inferior and that, of course, is problematic to say the least.”
SLIDESHOW: In Zoya Scholis’ piece, “Rebecca,” abstract patterns draw the viewer’s eye. Courtesy Bryant Street Gallery. 
SLIDESHOW: “New Roommate” by Zoya Scholis has echoes of Rodin’s sculpture “The Thinker.” Courtesy Bryant Street Gallery. 
SLIDESHOW: Zoya Scholis utilizes a familiar pensive pose in works such as “Caroline.” Courtesy Bryant Street Gallery.
In Scholis’ painting “New Roommate” a young girl sits with legs crossed, her head supported by her curved hand — a modern-day, female version of Rodin’s famous sculpture The Thinker. The background of the painting consists of large blocks of various colors neutral enough that the focus is on the figure in the foreground. What is she thinking? The very slight smile on her face indicates that she is pleased with where she is at the present moment.
The aptly titled “Retreat” features a figure who is completely self-contained and removed from any outside stimuli. The background is, again, neutral with large, vertical swaths of matte colors that make the neon orange of her voluminous robe jump out like a strobe light.
Like Matisse, Scholis loves textiles and said that “making up patterns is one of the most relaxing things to do in a painting.” She refers to herself as a “process painter” who is not particularly methodical in her work habits.
“I use rollers, brushes and knives. The process guides the work from subject to mood. I don’t know what I’m up to until I get started.”
Even though most of the paintings are of female subjects, there is a certain universality in their poses. Who hasn’t, at one point or another, rested their head in folded arms as a way to detach and take a break from the relentless noise of life? In “Caroline” and “Bengal” the viewer relates to these women and their need to tune into their thoughts, however briefly.
Those familiar with photography will recognize Scholis’ take on one of Edward Weston’s most famous prints, the portrait of his muse and wife Charis Wilson. In Weston’s black-and-white print, Wilson’s nude, folded body is posed in a sunlit doorway. Scholis’ version (“Nude With Calla Lily”) is softer and more nuanced, with the model seated on a blue blanket and a large vase of flowers in the background.
She explained that she was inspired to do the painting because she was part of a figure drawing group and the instructor asked the model to take that particular pose.
“You have to be long and lean to pull it off,” she said, “so I appreciate models!”
She also explained that usually the women in her work are not based on actual people but are, instead, faces that she has made up.
Scholis said that figure drawing is her favorite practice but she does not approach it in a “didactic” fashion. Indeed, most of the women in her work have rather generic facial features. There are, however, two examples of a more abstract approach in which features are almost eliminated. In “Rebecca” and “Listener” the viewer’s eyes travel around the canvas, taking in color and pattern before noticing the unfinished faces.
“I think the more abstract works are my favorites,” she said. “They are not easy for me to do because I have to be deep in the dream and detached from consequences to let the mystery loom large.”
In addition to the portraits, there are several examples of Scholis’ version of a timeless subject, floral still lifes. These small paintings are studies of green leaves, as in “Wild Cutting,” swirling around a textured vase. In “Redwood Table,” the single blooming flower is offset by an orange placed near the base of the vase. There is a quiet harmony and balance in all of these paintings, even when Scholis uses the ages-old technique of truncating the scene in an unexpected manner, as can be seen in “Nasturtium.”
SLIDESHOW: In addition to portraits, Zoya Scholis also counts floral still lifes in her work, such as “Redwood Table.” Courtesy Bryant Street Gallery. 
SLIDESHOW: Zoya Scholis’ “Nude with Calla Liily Leaves” takes inspiration from a well-known photograph by Edward Weston. Courtesy Bryant Street Gallery. 
SLIDESHOW: “Bengal” is among Zoya Scholis’ works that feature women in thoughtful poses. Courtesy Bryant Street Gallery.
“The Impressionists were very influenced by Japanese prints,” noted Scholis, “and stole lots of goodies from them. The cropped compositions have become part of the Western canon.”
Scholis said she loves living on the Monterey peninsula and has a covered deck on her house where she does her oil painting.
“The light could not be better,” she said, “It makes me rejoice just to think about it.”
This feeling of relaxed contentment is reflected in Scholis’ work. Want to read deep, profound meanings into these paintings – or simply enjoy them for her obvious technical skills? Scholis thinks either reaction is fine. In the end, she said, “I really just want to make something beautiful.”
“Zoya Scholis: Divine Feminine” is on view through April 16 at Bryant Street Gallery, 532 Bryant St. Palo Alto. For more information, visit bryantstreet.com. Zoya Scholis teaches at University Art in Redwood City once a month. Find upcoming workshops at zoyart.com.