My (Short) Story
I was born in a small seaside town called Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov in Ukraine in 1956. As a child, I was always drawing or playing with clay. My parents were both engineers and did not consider art as a profession but they let me apply to Art College in Kiev. I left home at 16 and led a bohemian lifestyle ever since.
Being an artist in the Soviet Union was a blessing and a curse. Artists had more freedom than other people, but we did not have any artistic freedom. Most of my work had to be Soviet Propaganda to survive, which wasn’t something I ever believed in. “Perestroika” has changed this somewhat. It became possible to sell work privately rather than through a state institution but no one had any money to buy art. In 1985 I have opened a stained glass studio for church window restoration and a screen-printing business. In early 90s it became possible to travel abroad, I visited England and met my husband in 1991. I live permanently in Watford and work from my home studio.
I do not belong to any religion, but I believe in Higher Rezoning Power, Soul, and Magic. I am into meditation and yoga. I like to travel and the most memorable trip I’ve made was the Amazon jungle Ayahuasca retreat https://templeofthewayoflight.org/ which had a profound effect on me and my journey of self-discovery and spiritual transformation. Art penetrates all aspects of my life. It gives me the Beauty that we all crave and feeds my Soul.
MY ARTISTIC PROCESS
I am looking for the inner side of things, their spirit, and the relationship between Spirit and Matter. We all struggle so desperately to deny non-material reality. To me, life consists of intelligence — in other words, in the power of Thought.. Quality of Spirit is Thought. Quality of Matter is Form. Thought affects Form.
If the Form was not expressed in solid substance, but mouldable by Thought things would be flowing into each other. I imagine what it would look like. And – Bang! There is no dilemma for me as to what to paint, but a sense of urgency to put all my thoughts down on canvas. I have lots of sketches and hope I have time to paint them all. It is sometimes hard but exciting to put on canvas images that exist only in your imagination because you have no reference point, but somehow you know where the light should lick it, where the shadow should fall. I see it in my mind’s eye.
When I am asked to explain my painting, I normally say: “What do You think it means?” and enjoy the way different people find different meanings to it. I love to discuss their point of view first. We all see things in our individual way and have unique emotional responses. I always learn something from viewers.I am aware that most of the time, to extract an emotional response from the viewer painting has to have something to relate to or recognise. But when I paint I do not have some other viewer in mind, I am the viewer. I do it for myself, to satisfy my inner need and in a hope that others will view it with curiosity and connect with my work.
If you up for a conversation drop me a line :) I am in Universal here and an Everlasting now.