Even in the heart of winter, the colors of nature can still be seen at Zola New World Bistro.

Painted landscapes of central Pennsylvania by local artist Sarah Pollock will be on display at the restaurant throughout this month.

"The response from our patrons has been very positive," Dave Fonash, co-owner of Zola, 324 West College Ave., said. "The quality is exceptional and the paintings fit our space very well."

Zola rotates art every two months, but Pollock's stay at the restaurant may be extended because it was closed from Jan. 1 to 11, Fonash said.

Pollock said she works in a medium of soft pastel and that all of her artwork on display at Zola is from the past six months.

"It is not every day that you see the medium of soft pastel," Pollock said. "It is a different and unique thing to see."

Pollock earned an art degree from the University of Wisconsin and worked at Walt Disney Feature Animation as a color stylist.

"I had to demonstrate not only geek skills at the computer but also the artistic skills that go behind it," she said. "Actually, I have screen credits in Disney's Mulan."

Pollock's work has been displayed in numerous venues around State College, including the Mount Nittany Medical Center and the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

Karen Magnuson, a former art student at Penn State and an employee in Penn State's Department of University Publications, first saw Pollock's work at the medical center.

"What caught my eye about Sarah's work was the depth she had," Magnuson said. "The colors were so beautiful. They were very intense and yet still natural."

Magnuson soon became an admiring fan of Pollock's work and recently purchased one of her original landscapes. Pollock paints scenes and landscapes that people in this area would find familiar, Magnuson said.

"The fact that she takes a Centre County perspective creates more interest for people in this area," Magnuson said. "It makes the paintings more interesting than just the beauty of them."

Irmgard Lee, a member and employee at the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania, took Pollock's first class at the Art Alliance. Lee said the coloring class was an active class with a dedicated instructor who gave not only lectures and demonstrations, but also homework.

"Sarah was very enthusiastic about the class," Lee said. "She has a lot of offer as an artist."

Pollock said the class, which will be offered again this winter, was to teach beginning artists to use color effectively.

"We look at the physics of art, through art history and famous works as well as strategies for how artists can strengthen their own work," Pollock said.

Marie Doll, executive director of the Art Alliance, said Pollock is a very professional and up-and-coming artist, thanks to her great command of technique in her particular medium.

"She has great potential, enthusiasm and energy," Lee said. "She is continuously working on something. Down the road, you can expect a lot of Sarah."

Pollock also paints cityscapes. Pollock said all of her cityscapes are witnessed or seen in person, but as an artist, she also takes liberty with color to try to make her point stronger.

"My point is to try to show viewers something beautiful and eye-catching," Pollock said. "To take things that might seem ordinary and make them extraordinary."