"Connemara - Inishnee, Ireland" Painting

I was born in 1972 in the Southern-Russian region of Krasnodar (Adagio) and I grew up in Rostov-on-Don. In 2000 I moved to the U.K.(Middlesex) and in 2004 moved with my family to Londonderry in Northern Ireland, where I presently live. I first developed an interest in art during early childhood. The first few years of my life were spent on my grandparent's farm, where I was free to discover all the wonders of the surrounding nature. I was fascinated by the beauty and the endless changes in the world around me and I was moved to try and recreate this in clay sculptures and drawings. My primary school years were spent in Rostov where I was exposed to numerous images of Russian art (mainly the Russian masters between 1850 - 1950). It was this which inspired me to become an artist. My artistic development was ignored by my family. I continued drawing and painting even though my works were usually or ignored or criticized. In my teenage years I began taking an interest in psychology, sociology, history, philosophy, world religions and esoteric. But art had become a natural part of me and my life. It was my escape into a world of lines, forms, light and shade which were telling the story of my being. I find painting to be extremely therapeutic in times of emotional misalliance and instability. So in 1989 I entered the Pedagogical University studying Biology, Chemistry and general Science. During my years at university, along with a long list of different scientific subjects' which I had to study, including nursing, I maintained a keen interested in psychology and undertook extra studies and training in practical psychology, coaching and NLP(psychotherapy). Art and crafts remained as my evening hobby; something very personal, only for myself and my close friends. During my last two years at university I did part-time work at schools as a tutor of biology and chemistry. When I finished my degree in 1994 it was also the end of my carrier as a teacher of science, it wasn't for me. I decided to do what I wanted at that time - be self-employed, working with people as a spiritual counselor, helping them to solve their problems, mainly in relationship, understand themselves, as well as help myself in my own personal development. Art stayed remained as an occasional hobby and crafts were prioritized as it did not require as much emotional involvement. In 2000 I moved to U.K with my husband.