Purple Portrait. Painting

I am an Ukrainian-american artist and philosopher. I find inspiration in observing nature, people and everyday life. For me painting is not only about reproducing the objects I see, it also a creative process I liken to writing a symphonic score and choreographing a ballet. My process includes my emotions, thoughts and memories. My paintings have a narrative and tell a story just like a short story or novel. My ideas come from life experiences and relate to ancient philosophies. I get ideas for paintings from everyday interactions with people, dreams, movies, music and everything else I experience. My paintings are a diorama combining past, present and future in one view. In the former Soviet Union I was trained as an artist from age ten through seventeen and then studied in University for five years earning a Master of Arts Degree and an art teaching degree. My art education was very strict with little room for imagination. Now I have broken all the old boundaries and discovered my own voice. I find inspiration in all artistic disciplines and include them in my paintings. Music, philosophy, dance, drama, history and literature are all brought together with my brush.