“Black Hat” Painting

My passion for art began in my childhood, where I spent all my free time copying illustrations of my favorite cartoon characters from books and magazines. Growing up in Kolomyia, I was fortunate to have two art masters, Vasyl Andrushko and Myroslav Yasinskiy, who introduced me to academic drawing and painting. They taught me the fundamental principles of composition, color theory, and how light works. I painted some of my first still lifes and cast drawings with them. After graduating from school, I decided to attend the Institute of Arts in Ivano-Frankivsk to become a fashion designer. However, after a short period of study, I transferred to the National University of Culture and Arts in Kyiv. Although academic drawing and painting was not my main focus of study, I continued to improve my skills. In 2009, I moved to the United States and spent most of my time living in Chicago, where I often visited art exhibitions at the Art Institute. I was particularly impressed by the works of the Impressionists, particularly John Singer Sargent, who was famous for his "bravura" brushwork. Later, I became a member of the "Palette and Chisel" artists club, where I had the opportunity to practice drawing and painting from live models. There, I became familiar with the works of one of the greatest masters of the 21st century, Richard Schmid, who was also a member of this club in the past. His painting technique and teaching method made a huge impression on me. In 2021, I moved back to Ukraine and currently live and work in my hometown of Kolomyia. The genres I work in include still life, figure, portrait, and landscape.