CREATIVE COLLAB: DANUTA TOMZYNSKI

One of the great treats of what we do is that we are often afforded the opportunity to highlight the work of other remarkably talented artists and artisans (and we’re really lucky that they’re often excited to work with us, too!). We got to feature the work of a couple in the Wide Open Trails Collection, one of whom is a unique artist by the name of Danuta Tomzynski.

Danuta is a first-generation Polish American who was raised in Los Feliz, California, surrounded by Native American, Spanish, and Mexican heritages, all of which had a level of influence on her art. She recalls being surrounded by art in her childhood and raised by creative parents who supported exploration and creativity in every aspect, stating she attended her first art class when she was only 5 – incidentally, in a building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. She later attended Otis Art Institute (formerly of Parsons School of Design) and actually worked as a clothing designer herself for a decade – no wonder she felt like such a natural fit for us!

Art by Danuta Tomzynski

"I was drawn to her art for a number of reasons,” explained Cheryl. “For starters, the subject matter, because it was saddles and stirrups and tooled leather, which of course caught my attention as it’s very on-brand for us. And then, her ability to capture the detail – not even just the detail, the depth and the essence, I think – of the tooling was like an artform within an artform. She focuses in tightly on these areas of a saddle that almost become abstract, yet still vintage. It’s very unique, what Danuta does, and it was cool to translate that into a couple different garments.”

"It’s very unique, what Danuta does, and it was cool to translate that into a couple different garments.”

Art by Danuta Tomzynski

Danuta’s work can be spotted in two of this season’s fan-favorite pieces, the Porter Saddlery Poncho and the Garcia Rose Saddle Top. You can also peruse her paintings and even own some of her awe-inspiring artwork via her website and follow her on Instagram @danutatomzynski.