Julia Sahno

I am a Ukrainian painter based in Kharkiv, working primarily in oil and from direct observation. My practice is centered on light, color, and the fleeting changes that transform familiar places and everyday subjects.

I am drawn to moments that are easy to overlook — shifting light across a landscape, changing shadows, reflections of color, or the way an ordinary object can suddenly appear different in a particular light. Through painting, I try to capture not only what I see, but the atmosphere and feeling of being present in that moment.

Painting from life is central to my practice. I work regularly en plein air in the places around me, as well as during painting trips, and continue this direct observation through still life in the studio. Visible brushwork, simplified forms, and color relationships help me preserve the freshness and immediacy of painting from life.

Whether I am painting a landscape, an urban scene, flowers, or a simple still life, I am looking for the moment when something familiar becomes worth noticing. I want each painting to preserve a sense of that encounter — the light, the atmosphere, and the quiet feeling of having been there.

Painting Studies with artist Natalia Nosyk, 2023–2025
Studies in oil painting, color, composition, and painting from direct observation, including plein-air practice.