My creativity however was nurtured from a very early age.  Being of Ukrainian origin I was raised in an environment where all artistic and creative pursuits were honored and respected.  The Ukrainian people are magnificent artisans.  Singing dancing, poetry, literature, embroidery, weaving, knitting, crochet, sewing, pysynke ( traditional Easter egg decorating) and all the visual arts were a normal part of my every day life.  I thrived in Art at school.  It was by far my strongest subject. After that I studied Interior Design which evolved into Set Design and I was lucky enough to work in theater, television and film.  I was always surrounded by amazing creative people.

 

I then studied Floristry and was fortunate enough to work in a very fancy high end Florist that availed me the opportunity to work in big hotels and amazing events creating huge feature creations.  I was a jewelry maker and teacher for a time and there were stretches of time between jobs that I ran my own business making and selling my creations to shops in order to keep myself in housing and fed.  I then studied Small Business Management and learnt how to do that competently. I worked in a gallery for a time and that was when I really became interested in and started  painting in earnest.  I was fortunate to experience success in the gallery and had several exhibitions that almost sold out. At the same time I was embarking on my personal development and spiritual awakening journey and I started seeking a pathway of integrating my creativity with my want to genuinely serve humanity...I discovered Art therapy and my own very fluid intuitive way of approaching my paintings evolved.

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 My approach comes from the knowing that in essence we are all creators that there is an innate intelligence within us that is infinitely wise and infinitely creative.  I have learnt that the more “I” step aside and allow that part of me to guide my creative process, the more clearly the work flows through me.

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My evolution as an artist is directly aligned with my evolution in understanding this about myself. My creative process is a huge surrender every time.  It's not always easy. Everything I create is a unique and amazing surprise to me.  Nothing is planned.  I get shown beginning places, inspiration, and guidance but I never know what it will look like.

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It's a dive into the deep, the unknown and the unexpected…every single time.   The moment I get involved with my own expectations the process dries up and again I must surrender even more deeply