By turning geometric shapes into abstract forms, Bellevue artist Paula Maratea Fuld makes bold statements on canvas and through multi-medium assemblies aimed at creating a scene the viewer can become part of.

“I explore image and emotion through nonrepresentational forms and expressions,” Fuld said. “My current focus examines the interplay of color, line, and texture in multilayered assemblies and paintings.

Fuld said abstract constructions free her to depict the world without bias.

“My images invite engaged viewers to remix their own experiences to create new interpretations about how they view the world,” she said.

Fuld’s exhibit, called “Light Interpretations,” includes a collection of three-dimensional plastic, glass and paint assemblies, as well as canvas paintings inspired by the geometric forms found in those assemblies. Her show will continue through July 11 at Pogacha of Issaquah, 120 NW Gilman Blvd. On July 12 the show will move to Pogacha of Bellevue, 119 106th Ave NE, where it will run until Aug. 22.

Fuld has been creating artwork for her entire life, starting as a 5-year-old fascinated by an artist commissioned by her father to create a grand oil painting. She graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in painting and printmaking from Virginia Commonwealth University, later earned her degree in information systems, and then continued her studies in digital art at UCLA. Over the years her work has gone through numerous stages, changing each time she moved to a new city.

She started working with plastic, paint and glass after moving to Bellevue in 2002 “because of the grey skies and low light conditions. I want the materials to bring light, and all the colors it produces, indoors. It was a curious thing,” said Fuld, who was also inspired by her husband’s work with telescopes and mirrors.

She enjoys seeing how the light interplays with the different materials. Now she has moved away from the plastic and glass assemblies to painting those images on canvas.

“I learned a lot from the plastic and am now translating that to the paintings,” she said. “It’s about the translucency of the paint.”

Fuld hopes the paintings come to life by speaking to viewers’ emotions.

“They’re bold abstract portraits of the world and I want the viewer to see something of themselves in them,” she said.

More information is available at 425.392.5550, or www.pogacha.com.

Paula Maratea Fuld’s work can be seen at http://paulamarateafuld.blogspot.com.