Art is a process. Art is my passion. Art is a form of communication that cultivates inspiration, promotes creativity, and provides insight into human emotions.
I have a unique background which has impacted me as an artist. Until I was adopted at age three, I lived in an Ukrainian orphanage and couldn’t speak. When my parents brought me home, the school speech therapist told them “don’t expect big things from her.” I was determined to prove him wrong!
Some people think I am shy but I am not. I have Asperger’s Syndrome (high-functioning autism); sometimes it is hard for me to verbally communicate my emotions. Even being labeled autistic, I’ll never let this disability get in the way of my goal of becoming an artist.
At times it can be easier for me to express my emotions though art rather than speaking. Using the techniques of the German Expressionist movement, which shows the feelings of the artist, I tend to focus on body language. Studying the movement of the body and paying attention to anatomy helps me draw people in different positions and the body plays an important role in expressing feelings when drawing people. Drawing faces is also important to me. The face shows a lot of emotion that I can’t always convey in my own facial expressions.
I’ve studied the works of Van Gogh, and Picasso. Their works fueled my creativity and ability to take risks, just as they did. Max Beckmann, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Edward Gorey influence me due to the subject matter of their drawings, showing of emotions, and use of color. Like them, I illustrate with a raw and unfinished style, focusing on peoples’ facial expressions. I respect Gorey’s use of shadows and darkness contrasted against fine detail.
