Lancaster-Joe Zielinski is an artist and musician, a bit like a modern Renaissance person.

He lived and created in Lancaster and found the perfect property for his life and art. 

"High St Studio occupies most of the space on the first floor of my house," he said. "It is unique because I live in a commercial/residential space, which used to be an auto repair shop and a signature shop. The first floor is art In the studio, the upper floor is the living space. My studio space has been arranged so I can work on paintings, framing projects and other projects I am working on, and it also includes a music corner."

Zilinsky moved from Maynard, where he grew up, to Lancaster. 

"My wife and I chose Lancaster because it is quiet and has a lot of natural beauty," he said. They also think this is a good place to start a family-Zielinski and his wife Julia now have a 2-year-old son Nathan.

"They are very supportive of my work and think it is really interesting. As Nathan grows up, I look forward to painting with him," he said.

Zielinski has been involved in art and music since childhood. He started creating art in elementary school and began playing music at the age of 12. Except for some commercial art classes and some musical instrument classes in vocational high schools, he taught himself.

Creating art and music, including painting and making musical instruments, "It feels natural to me; I have been doing this for a long time. I feel very lucky to have these abilities. This is a gift. Creating art makes me happy ,"He said.

He also likes to make others satisfied with his work. 

“When people are happy to get one of my paintings, it feels really good, even just commenting on how much they like what I create. I really like creating things that bring people happiness,” Zielinski said.

He mainly paints with acrylic on canvas or board, but also uses tattoo ink, spray paint, mica film and vinyl records. He said he was “attracted by bold images and bright colors,” depicting iconic images of rock stars and classic cars.

"I paint musicians I admire, but I also paint idols that I think will resonate with others. I am a big fan of classic cars, especially Volkswagen, and I like the appearance of Vespas, old bicycles, etc. I really just paint I like things," he said.

"We like to hang my newly completed paintings on the wall of our house before they are exhibited," he added.

Tattoo ink is an unusual medium, but Zielinski said it was left over from his past attempts to become a tattoo artist. Tattooing is not the right artistic path for him, so he incorporated ink into some of his paintings.

"I think (it) adds art. It also brings good alcohol staining to the guitars I make," he said.

Making musical instruments is the intersection of his visual art and music.  

"I made some large upright bass guitars," he said. "Inventing a new interpretation of the instrument, and the function is the same, which is very interesting. I mainly repair different parts and try to create the ultimate unique and atypical instrument. I also added paint, collages, stains, etc., but Most importantly, they must sound great."

Zielinski can play guitar, bass and "a little bit" drums. Before becoming a father, he spent more than 10 years on live performances and touring.

In addition to being an artist and musician, Zielinski is also a master cartographer. He is currently working at the Renjeau Art Gallery in Natick, responsible for all museum quality frames and art installations. For decades, he has also been engaged in commercial sign work, designing and making signs.

However, he said, "I really belong to the art world."

Zielinski will soon be exhibiting at the Medusa Brewery in Hudson for the sixth consecutive year. He also held an ongoing exhibition at Clinton's Café (since 2016), and held other exhibitions in central Massachusetts and New England. 

Zielinski also accepts commissions from musical instruments and visual arts. The typical price range for pre-made or custom works is $500 to $2,000.

He said: "I do think that people have turned to support local businesses and artists to some extent (during the COVID-19 pandemic), which has helped me in the past year."

Find Zielinski and High St Studio on highststudio.com or Facebook @explosiveartstudio.