Usually the words “old,” “new” and “stupid” aren’t grouped together to describe something pleasant, but that’s exactly what artist Pawel Zolynski’s gallery offers. Located at 119 Canal St. in Ellenville, Zolynski’s has brought the Hudson Valley a thought-provoking, head-tilting and expansive display of his mind and how he expresses his ideas through his art.

Walking into the gallery, the smell of fresh wood permeates the room, inviting guests to explore the space the artist has adorned and decorated with works his ideas have brought to life over several decades. One of the first and largest pieces you see, dating back to 2007, is the character Pikachu from Pokémon. Bright yellow with blue bolts surrounding it, the work instantly electrifies the room. There are several colorful pieces that will catch your eye as the artist uses specific paints, pens and markers of many varieties to add dimension and depth to his work.

With the oaky scent still fresh in the air, you realize that there are multiple wood pieces in the gallery. Some of the works at first glance come off as raw and seemingly simplistic, while others, like his reimagining of a wooly mammoth's ulna bone, made from a large branch of a tree, looks as smooth and polished as the real thing. Regardless of the material’s initial state, Zolynski renders and fine-tunes it, bringing its complexity to the forefront. It is accompanied by a completely AI-generated description and illustration on the wall above, offering both a brief history of the mammoth and a commentary on the integration of natural history and artistic interpretation.

But this was not the only wooden piece that stood out. There’s an all-wood replica of the tool he used to sculpt the ulna, a chainsaw. It’s set on a bright yellow box where, if you just bend down a little, there is a video playing inside about how the piece came to be.

Pawel is polite and accessible, taking time to walk guests through the gallery and answer any questions they have. He has a calm demeanor and he’s very humble in the way he speaks of himself and his work.

One of the most endearing aspects of this gallery is the side room, where there’s more art — not made by his own hands, but by those of his children, Leo and Mila. The work in the main space is impressive, but then you walk back to that room and see all of the light, potential, and joyous spirit, that is a child's mind is in some ways even more impressive, as his inspiring his own

children to free themselves and unleash their minds through art.

Through that room, you walk out into the sunshine where Leo and Mila were making authentic Polish sausage for all, serving up smiles with each delicious, perfectly barbecued treat. A truly wholesome offering which really tied together the feeling of a comfortable and laid-back pop-up.

Mila, Pawel’s nine-year-old daughter, made a sale — her first — of one of her excitingly colorful pieces, prompting her father to place a little red sticker next to it signifying that it was sold. This is a very special moment for any artist, but even more so for one so fresh in their artistic journey.

While a majority of Zolynski’s art isn't “new” per se, back inside the main area there is one of his most recent pieces, completed two weeks ago. This piece could be perceived as much more simplistic than it is; three canvases lined up with a big red dot in the center of each one. While at first glance they look identical, closer inspection reveals each has a unique texture. The work and the sticker placed on Mila’s just-sold painting offered a pleasant serendipity.

While a lot of art these days isn’t intended for a wide audience, the variety and diversity of the Zolynski family’s art makes you think that there’s bound to be a little something for every kind of person to enjoy when they attend this show. To us, that sounds pretty smart.