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Category Archives: Home
A Special Visit
I am currently visiting my daughter in Rexburg, ID. This gives me a great chance to do art because I have all time that I need to myself. At home, in Ukraine, I am usually so busy teaching at the university and helping my students with their projects, that I do not have any time to paint and craft myself. Since I can barely understand English, I stay home during the day making cards and cooking Ukrainian food.
Today one very special friend was in town for business, and we invited him over for dinner. This friend of mine lived in Ukraine for a couple of years and visited Ukraine back and forth after that. While living in Ukraine he mastered the language, and came to understand the culture really well. I started calling him my “American son” ever since he introduced us to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It was an exciting visit. I made some varenyky and borscht for Al and his cousin, who he brought with him. After a warm chat and sharing of the many happy memories together, I decided to give both Al and his cousin my stationery as a gift. When Spencer, Al’s cousin, saw the cards I had made, he was shocked. He said he had never seen something like that before.
That, seriously, made my day! It is so refreshing to know that my art makes other people happy.
These are the cards that Al and Spencer picked.
Medium: watercolor, tempera, paper cutting
Size: 7.9 in x 5.9 in
NEW Ideas
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Felting
Felted fabric is very creative textual technology that is used in interior design, as well as in fashion design.
My Talented Students
Lada Poltavska, third on the left
- Accessories by Lada Poltavska
This piece of clothing, by Lada Poltavska, was made to demonstrate architectural motifs of Kyivan Rus. Lada participated in Ukrainian Competition of Young Designers. Her creations have been also displayed in many Ukrainian museum exhibitions. Lada was only a Sophomore when she created this collection. She is now graduated and continues to design clothing and accessories. Visit her Facebook page and view more of her creations.
Lada Poltavska
Kyiv, Ukraine; 2011
Handmade Dolls
This is a student that I taught at The Institute of Decorative Art. Her handmade dolls are one of a kind and reveal her passion towards clothing design. These dolls can be a unique decoration or a thoughtful gift. Take a look yourself…
Kyiv Ukraine Temple
I remember my feelings before the opening of the first LDS temple in Kyiv, Ukraine, also the first temple in the Eastern-European area. That was a period of endless uplifting, happiness and excitement. I wanted to fast-forward the time to when the temple would be dedicated, and we could do God’s work in there. The beauty of the Kyiv temple is breathtaking and magnificent… Everything in it is impressive: the building itself with a cascade of light forms that end with the statue of angel Moroni; interiors that are filled with light; magically harmonious décor, which symbolizes the love of God and has the elements of our Ukrainian culture. As an artist, I really wanted to transpose these feelings of mine onto paper. Therefore, when I decided to participate in the Ninth Art Competition of the Church, I had no doubts regarding my theme: it was going to be the Kyiv Ukraine Temple.
The temple speaks to us with the language of symbols; all that is happening there is symbolic. I also decided to build my art piece on symbols. While visiting the temple, I have been trying to absorb everything that the Lord is trying to tell us there. I paid attention to different details, seeking to interpret their meaning – that was a special spiritual experience for me. For my technique, I chose paper-cutting, which has been one of the important characteristics of Ukrainian people (for example, little angels were cut out of paper, and were used to decorate a typical Ukrainian home; it was believed that they protected the family from anything evil). Nowadays, this technique is very popular in modern art. As my dominant colors I chose gold, as a symbol of royalty; and white, as a symbol of purity. Some of the details of my artwork imitate light colors of marble surfaces; there are also some tones of symbolic Ukrainian yellow and blue, which are the colors of our flag. In the center of my composition there is an image of the Kyiv temple building with the year of its dedication, 2010. Beneath the building there is a stylized baptismal font, which is placed on the backs of the oxen. Right above the temple building, there are sun rays, which are warming up everything around it, and are transformed into a decorative frame. You can also see the details of window and interior décor of the temple, the stylized Ukrainian flowers. I sought to add some national flavor to my artwork. This temple is a testimony of how the Gospel is spreading upon the whole earth. The longer I am in the Church, the more convinced I am that all of our talents and skills are given to us, so that we could progress the work of the Lord and build His heavenly kingdom on earth. This is not my art piece; I am only an instrument in the hands of the Creator, who guided my thoughts and skills to create it. I am very grateful and happy that I can reveal the love of God to His children through my creativity.
Flowers
I love flowers! Looking at them closely helps me rediscover the richness of their colors and perfection of their shapes. Through painting flowers I can show my gratitude to God for those beautiful creatures.
Medium: watercolor, gel pen
Price: $12.00
The Meaning of a Gift
Does it matter to you what you get as a gift from a loved one? Do you feel thrilled knowing that the gift was handmade specifically for you? From my childhood I have been taught by my mother to give my family and friends something unique, beautiful, or handcrafted as a gift. Therefore, before any holidays I would paint or sew. I noticed that preparing those gifts with my own hands brought me the most inexplicable joy. Something truly magic was happening when I created an idea in my head and then made it real. I felt like that creation process brought into life something new and unique. Making this world more beautiful and kind has been one of my greatest passions. Therefore, I had no doubts regarding my major; I wanted to be an artist. Having received a specialized degree in art and fashion design, I started doing different kinds of decorative art. That has since brought me great pleasure. I would like to share my artwork with you and hope that you will be able to enjoy it as well.
Gift Stationery 