January 20 – April 1, 2026
The MAIN, 24266 Main St, Santa Clarita, CA 91321
ANNOUNCEMENT: “Make Life Beautiful” by Aaron Koscelansky has been extended to April 1, 2026.
The City of Santa Clarita is proud to announce its latest art exhibition, “Make Life Beautiful” by Aaron Koscelansky on view at The MAIN (24266 Main Street) now through March 2, 2026.
“Make Life Beautiful” is a collection of intricate, psychedelic mandalas and geometric compositions designed to captivate the senses and encourage deep reflection. Each piece is hand-painted on canvas, ranging in size from small (6” x 6”) to large (36” x 48”), using acrylic, fluorescent, and UV-reactive paints. The artworks feature layered symmetry, vibrant color transitions, and hypnotic patterns that invite viewers into a meditative visual journey.
This exhibition explores the relationship between color, symmetry, and consciousness. Mandalas have long been symbols of unity and transformation, and this collection embraces that tradition while infusing it with a modern, psychedelic aesthetic. The use of fluorescent and UV-reactive paints adds an interactive dimension, allowing the works to shift and evolve under different lighting conditions. The pieces are designed to be uplifting and immersive, encouraging viewers to find moments of stillness and inspiration within the complexity of each design.
Q&A with Aaron Koscelansky
The title of your exhibition is “Make Life Beautiful.” What does that phrase mean to you personally and artistically?
“Make Life Beautiful comes from a project I started in Lancaster, CA. There was an open desert behind my apartment complex that would often attract illegally dumped items. I didn’t have the manpower or machinery to remove it all myself, but I did want a more appealing looking neighborhood. I started taking Posca markers on my walks through the desert and would find items to draw on. The idea was to take items that had been discarded, give them new life through creativity, and showcase them as art pieces, leaving them where they were dumped but with a new design. Intentionally making life around me more beautiful. I would leave my Instagram handle (@psychedelicwatermelon) on the pieces I created, and every once in a while, I would receive a message from someone who found an item I had drawn on and taken it home. With a little bit of intentionality, someone’s trash had become someone else’s art.”
Do you have a favorite piece in this exhibit?
“Wavelength of Bees.”
How do you begin your creative process?
“I find an item or canvas that interests me. They can be found, thrifted, or bought, and I’ll usually begin with choosing colors and painting a background. The bright backgrounds of my pieces come first, then I sit with the item/canvas until an idea arrives for what will become the focal point of the piece.”
Who or what are your biggest artistic influences?
“My artistic influences come from lived experience. I enjoy bright colors, symmetry, movies, astronomy, nature, stand up, podcasts and music. I love anything that brings a sense of novelty and joy to everyday life.”
Your work features intricate mandalas and geometric symmetry. What draws you to these forms?
“I’m a fan of psychologists like Jung. He, “felt certain that mandala drawing has the function of integrating psychological division, enhancing psychological harmony, and preserving personality integrity.” I started drawing mandalas after a very difficult period in my life. I also found it had a calming, stay-in-the-present effect. I found myself being able to work for up to five hours on a mandala piece with little to no breaks, and sometimes even without background noise, becoming more comfortable working in silence.”
Do you plan your geometric patterns ahead of time or allow them to evolve as you paint?
“I’ll usually draw the overall shape of the mandalas with a pencil before going in with markers or paint. However, the details within them, like dot work or highlights, evolve as I work.”
What tools or techniques do you use to achieve such precise symmetry and layering?
“I use a compass, or sometimes any circular household object to get the main proportions of the mandalas accurate. A ruler will sometimes be used for longer straight lines. Otherwise, all of my work is hand drawn without stencils, projectors, or VR.”
Your work uses fluorescent and UV-reactive paints. What inspired you to experiment with these materials?
“I enjoy artwork that can play with different light. I’ll use fluorescent, UV-reactive, and metallic elements in my paintings to help bring extra depth to the pieces; allowing the viewer to have different experiences with the same piece depending on which lighting is being used. Like a play-off of 1960’s psychedelic, neon posters.”
What do you hope viewers feel when they experience your work?
“A sense of joy, or a moment or relaxation. I find that children tend to be drawn to my artwork due to the bright colors or my periodic use of cartoon characters they might recognize. But overall, I just want to bring a little joy to the world through my creativity. Making the world a little bit more beautiful through art.”
What is the best piece of advice you have received as an artist?
“You should enjoy the process more than the destination. Fall in love with the journey not the result.”
