Tina Lustig

I have always been surrounded by artists, writers, and museums. As a youth growing up in Chicago, my mother and I frequently took the "L" train to the Art Institute of Chicago where I sat and stared at Renoir's "Two Sisters (On the Terrace)". I also saw the collection of Monet's "Haystacks" there.

My father owned a traditional dress shop on a historical street in Chicago. I would sometimes copy the printed fashion ads in pencil. Some years later, I created fashion drawings of clothes I designed.

As a youth I often used markers to draw graphic designs, primarily patterns. This is why I love Matisse. He came from a textile family, just like my father. The patterns also appeal to my mathematical background.

I married an artist, who is also on Saatchi Art. He is the sculptor Steven Lustig. I watched him draw 10,000 drawings in charcoal and various types of pencils, as well as create many marble sculptures.

I started painting in watercolors, painted in acrylics for a short time, and then started painting in oils. This became my passion. I still love to create watercolor paintings and draw with graphite.

Most of my paintings start as pencil sketches or detailed drawings. I've lived with a master sculptor and draftsman for years a...

BA in Mathematics & Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with a secondary degree in Psychology.