Saturday, December 3, 2011

I got the most amazing information last Saturday from my dad. He said that he found this Russian website where I can watch any of the most popular Russian channels. It is called www.kaban.tv. I have been watching it constantly for the last week, and I am so happy that I can feel this pre-New-Year winter fairytaily atmosphere! The biathlon, my favorite kind of sport, season started! That is why I am particularly happy to have the sport channel http://kaban.tv/rossiya-2-online, where I can now watch every game! I was so inspired by this new opportunity that I created a piece of art dedicated to it.

Friday, November 25, 2011

There was another day of silk screen printing, and we are almost done! We just have to go one more time tomorrow to finish the hoodies. I can tell I am becoming more professional! ))) The shirts look great too, and we cannot wait to give them to the team. This is all nice, but I am so behind my schedule on doing homework, that I get stressed out. Usually, this late in the semester, I feel stress, but I know it will take me probably another one or two weeks to get it over with everything, and then life is beautiful again! I just do not like the rush that does not let me do things the best way I can. But I know I can do it and more, so I could later have a great time during winter holidays in Los Angeles and in Russia!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Well, I can only say that I do not like to spend family holidays away from my family. I know that it is strange for a twenty-five-year-old to say that, but I just cannot help but think about them and miss them, which makes me very sad. I embarrassed myself in front of strangers today, as I started crying after one of them started talking about not having family with him, and had to spend the rest of dinner in my room. It feels bad to spoil others' holiday, and I feel terrible. Well, at least the stuffing that I made, turned out to be very delicious! )))

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Hi! I spent all day today at a wonderful place! My hubby and I had hands-on experience doing silk screen printing in a professional company that has been doing it for many years. It turned out that my husband's distant relatives have business screen printing for huge corporations, and we could make our T-shirts on their equipment. It was very hard and long, but the T-shirt come out very nice. We will probably have to come back there during the next week in order to finish our batch. It is so helpful that my husband's relatives are there to advise us how to do things properly. It was just one day, but it was worth many I could have spent searching for informations online.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Yesterday, when we were coming back home, we stopped at the light, and from the underneath the car in front of ours a little kitten ran and stopped on the road. Then, he just flew to the building across the street and stayed there. We were concerned that he might be lost and get injured, so we came back there and tried to catch him. Unfortunately, he was too frightened and too fast, and we did not succeed. Later, after my English class, we came back there again, because my husband said he saw him after he dropped me off at school. But we did not find him there. I feel so helpless. Hopefully he will be able to find a shelter somewhere or even a way home. He did not look like a home cat, but I do feel that he was living with his mom-cat.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Yesterday I read my horoscope for a week. It said it is going to be a hard week with lots of little problems. Today I really started feeling that! I am still trying to finish my T-shirt design project for an art contest at our college. But things are getting complicated and to long to do. I hope tonight, after class, I will be finally able to finish it and keep doing my homework that I have not touched in days...
It feels a little sad that this semester is coming to an end, I like studying. At the same time, there are still so many tasks to complete that I am getting panic attacks when I think about it.
Here is my design I was working on for several days. It is not exactly how my T-shirt is going to look, but I wish it looked this way. There is, however, a little fault, that I forgot to fix, so it is closer to what I am expecting as a final product! )))

Friday, November 18, 2011

Painting the portrait the whole day. I really cannot find the reason why it is taking so long for me to paint two cute girls and their amazing dog! It is looking better though, so I want to be able to finish by Tuesday. But who know how it will really go.
Another thing is that my hubby got 180 shirt to print on. Now we have to burn the silk screens, find paint and build a silk screen machine, that I engineered. Oh! Exciting! But if I can only make my other design and print it by Tuesday as well, it would be very nice!!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

It's Thursday and our fourth Wedding Anniversary today! Happy Birthday my little baby family!!!
It was a nice day that we spent together. We went to a nice Thai restaurant and now are watching movies together. When you love everything seems better and you feel healthy and happy!
Four years ago, on this day my father and I walked together on our backyard, where the ceremony took place. He gave me to my husband, and my hubby's father directed the ceremony, as he used to be a pastor. It was as nice, warm and sunny, as today, and I was so happy that my parents and my brother were there with me.
Now time passed, a lot changed in our family, but that feeling of excitement and care that I had four years ago, stays with me today. I love you, Victor! Everything will be all right!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The winter is coming, the house is getting colder, and I am getting sick. I spent all day today dealing with stress, my unexpected homework and my headache that all of it caused. I just wish the time would go faster so I could go away from here for a while. I do not know what my plans are yet, but I feel that I need some major change in my life to feel happy again. I am spending too much time on something that does not give me anything in return. I guess that speech of Steve Jobs really affected me, ha?! Yeah, maybe I just do not feel very well today. I hope.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Nothing really special today. I woke up very mad at my political science professor, because last night before I went to sleep, I read his response to my message. I wrote him because he was supposed to either put out the new chapter to read or to let us go this week without it as we already have another assignment sue the end of the week, but he he just put out the quiz for the chapter that was supposed to be opened only in a week. He responded me as if I was a bad student or someone who wants not to have a homework and pretty much avoided saying that it was his fault or that he forgot. Now I have to put reading of a new chapter in my plans somewhere between tomorrow and celebrating my wedding anniversary for real this time. Ugh!
On the other hand, the day was not too bad, because my art professor told me she wants to try to put my Russia inspired artwork up for a Student show.

Monday, November 14, 2011

I finally had some free time today after working on my homework all weekend last week, so my hubby and I went to buy me a portfolio in Blick Art store. My professor asked me to bring all my portfolios from the classes I took with her in previous semesters, so she could take it to some "meeting." Sounds really nice, and I was, of course, very flattered, so I got another portfolio to put all my artwork there.
After, we decided to go to our traditional shopping trip: I go to a clothing store or something like that, and my husband goes to Barnes&Nobles. I went to a Kmart, which has completely discouraged my not only from Christmas shopping there, but from shopping there at any other time. I noticed that the stores that I visited when I just moved to the U.S. are becoming too expensive to shop. Before, I went to such stores as Payless Shoes, Target, and Kmart a lot because they were cheap, and although the quality was matching the price, I was satisfied. But now that the prices there are going up so shamelessly with the quality staying bad, I just do not see the reason to come back. Instead, like a crazy coupon freak, I browse the Internet in search of the coupons on the products I like to make their price not so offensive to my wallet. It does actually help a lot, and I am hoping to be able to save during Thanksgiving sales, because I still have a very long shopping list of things I need to buy for my Russian relatives and friends. Thanks God, I love shopping!

Friday, November 11, 2011

It is getting really cold, and my biggest concern now is to keep warm and healthy at least until I go to Russia. The house in which we live now is very cold, and pretty much nothing can keep it warm. That is why I have a plan of insulating it by taping the windows and closing the holes. I am just tired of walking at home wearing my boots and the winter jacket that I wear in Russia only outside. I am having a hard time accepting this way of life, because it neither compares to my way of life in Russia, nor it suits to the description of bohemian artistic way of life. I guess I also do not really want to accept this way of life because it would be degrading. So I have to find out how to make it all better now.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

At the class on Tuesday we were painting the nude model with watercolors. I was very excited to do it because I love to draw and paint people and I did not have a good opportunity to paint a live model for a while. It was actually pretty easy for me, maybe because I have taken a figure drawing class before. Although it was my first experience painting a live model with watercolor, it turned out to be actually very pleasant and comfortable than I expected. The model was very talkative and encouraging, so it helped as well. This one class made me want to take some live drawing again!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Hello! I spent my day shopping at my favorite TJ Max and then watching a play-off game in the Eagle Rock High School with my husband and the girl from his team, Sandra. It was really pleasant finally to get out of the house and enjoy doing things for myself. I think everybody needs to do it for themselves once in a while, but as often as possible. Otherwise, life does not have meaning.
I keep thinking on the idea for the T-shirts that I have already promised to a bunch of people. Now I have got a new reason to make it. In the Art club in LAVC they make an art contest, and the theme is "Day and Night: Contradictions." I remember being in this theme for a while when I was a teen, so I feel I need to submit something this time again! I always participate in college art contests, but I never win; it is my fate. Anyway, I am thinking to submit an artwork on a T-shirt with my new design instead of drawing it on paper, canvas or making a sculpture. First of all, it is a new thing for me, and it seems pretty interesting to work on the T-shirt design. Second, I can make a great beautiful picture and print it on my friends' shirt as well. The only stuff I have to do now is to think of a great design and make a screen for it.  It has to be something great and strong, so I could have a real opportunity to win the contest and so  my friends would want to wear it too! Good luck to me!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Hello! My husband's volleyball girl team season is finally almost finished, and it means that we are going to spend more time together, which is really nice. Also, I cannot wait to go shopping for his anniversary present and something for me too! )))
I realized that if I try to do as much homework this week, next week I will be able to go somewhere with my man and my dog finally. That is why I am working hard on my Electoral College assignment for the Political Science class, which I do not enjoy very much, but at least I gained a lot of knowledge about the U.S. political system and got rid of some stereotypes that Americans created for the world to accept. Not so much positiveness in this, but at least I know more truth about the country where I am living now.

Monday, November 7, 2011

Hi! Well, basically I am tired of studying a little. Oh, I just dream of the Spring semester when all my classes are going to be in the art department! It is difficult to meet deadlines, but it gives me the sense of accomplishment! I also really miss doing art everyday and I hope to get back to my previous schedule that I had last spring.
I also want to take a French class because I just adore it and all French culture. I have been to France two times and fell in love with the country. That is why French is on my list. I just hope I can do it all!
See you soon!

Friday, November 4, 2011

I love cold weather because it reminds me of my mother country. Today it was so nice to stay at home and enjoy spending a day in a quiet and empty house by myself. It reminds me of the pleasure that one of the main characters in the "Big Bang Theory", Sheldon, gets when he is alone at home. I just love this show, and there is no other that makes me laugh so hard. If you have not watched it yet, you definitely should. Here is some bloopers from them, they are hilarious and cute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULHHQiFfK9o.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

I just looked through the schedule for Spring 2012 at LAVC... Well, I really do not know what to do about my education. The classes I want to take are all over the place with their weird times and amount of units. Also, I do not really know who to ask about a very very important question: I have an undergraduate incomplete education diploma from Russia and I do not know if it will make me have no financial aid if I turn it in to LAVC for transferring the units. I had been studying there full time for four years majoring computer science, but I have never completed the final year and the final project of the course, which is a requirement for the graduation in Russia. I just do not know if I will ruin everything bringing it to the school, but now I have to retake all these silly boring general education classes that I have already taken back in Russia in a much better university. I am trying to avoid them by taking something new for me like English, Argumentation and Anthropology classes, but I am running out of my options here! I do not know if I should talk about it with a counselor because then the college will be aware of my previous education and might refuse helping me financially. I just do not know...
As for an Art show I was watching last evening, as I expected they kicked out the artist with a broad imagination instead of an idiot whose artwork sucks. In fact, he even calls himself "sucklord", and proves it every time, but one of the organizers of the show likes him for some reason, and they always give him a chance. Art is very subjective, but there should be some limits to the weirdness of logic of people's judgment when the artist's destiny is being decided.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I am in the cooking mode and mood today! Inspired by the pesto sauce pasta that we consumed in huge amounts in Italy, I made my own pesto sauce with basil, dill and garlic, which turned out perfect. I am also baking the cookies that are called "Kurabiye" in Russian, although I suppose this sugar cookie recipe comes from some southern country. I was always too lazy to look it up, but now that I did (this blog is amazing, it makes me lazier each day!) I guess the recipes of this cookie come from such countries as Turkey, Greece and Southern Russia. In the end, it is just a plain sugar cookie that in my city in Russia is always decorated with a bit of jam in the middle, so it looks like a lovely flower. Mine do not look as good, but I bet they will taste amazing tonight!
I messed up on my homework for my Cultural Anthropology class, and I do not think I did the test very well, but it made me read what I guess I was supposed to be reading for a few weeks now. The book is about an African tribe called !Kung. I guess the exclamation mark is the symbol the author used for a special throat sound that people of this tribe use in their communication. The book seems so amazing so far. It is written by a female anthropologist about the women's lives in the tribe with all the details of their sexual development, marriage patterns and norms and rearing children. It is so interesting how opened and personal the women of the tribe are, how situations when they think about killing a new-born to be able to nurse their youngest daughter or when they talk about the sexual games that they children perform are coming alive due to their colorful and sincere stories.
Some days I do not really have anything to say and some days I have my thoughts just appearing here with ease. I am going to watch this reality show they have on Bravo channel, the Work of Art. I have a lot to say about it, so I will save it till tomorrow, when my point of view is going to be refreshened by a new episode. Good night!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Great day today in general! I went to the watercolor class and got very good reviews on my artwork. That made me very happy and satisfied. Unfortunately, something is going on with my back: it hurts even if I just sit on the chair for an hour. I am trying to find out why it hurts and what I can do about it.
My husband's team is going to the playoffs next week, which is another reason why both he and I are so excited and nervous about next Monday. Good luck Marshall High School Volleyball Team!!!

Monday, October 31, 2011

I finished reading Ella Minnow Pea! Honestly, in the middle of my reading I started suspecting that the phrase they were all looking for is going to be a phase that somebody accidentally said. I also found it very difficult to read the letters written in graphemes. I am not crazy about this book because the whole situation seems way to exaggerated and unrealistic. First of all, it seems to me that the author had so many real stories to use, that happened in the United States and describe the same craziness of the government's corruption and plain stupidity. Second, in the situation described there were so many other ways for people to avoid all the negative outcomes, and instead many of them chose the most illogical ways. However, I enjoyed reading the book just because, and I am looking forward to reading the new one.

Friday, October 28, 2011

I just realized that I will have to go to English class on the evening of our fourth wedding anniversary. I am not hinting at anything and I do not like to miss classes, but I hate when something like that happens. Well, I guess we will have to celebrate it before AND after the class! :-)
Every year when the time is coming to the celebration of our wedding anniversary, our families and we are a little confused when to actually celebrate. It is because we officially got married on the seventh of November, 2007, in Orlando, FL, but then we flew to LA and had a wedding ceremony and reception for our families on the seventeenth of November, 2007. For our relatives the last date seems to be more appropriate for congratulations, but we just usually congratulate each other twice. Another reason not to be sad about the Monday bad timing! :-)
I was writing the naturalism essay today, and while I was researching about this type of literature, I found out that a lot of artists and writers who I know and like were using this style in their art. It is very impressive and seems close to what I want to be doing in terms of art. It is interesting for me how people get affected by outside uncontrollable forces or even other people and how they take it. It might be my own very loose interpretation of naturalism mixed with romanticism, determinism and realism, but it works for me when I try to realize what my painting should be saying to viewers.
I have three days of art starting tonight, and I am planning to move quickly and effectively to do everything that I planned.
Oh, I also need to finish reading LMNOP, as I call it. I really thought it was called this way when you announced it for the first time! haha!
Have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

I keep fighting with myself for becoming a better person, but, as yesterday showed, I have a long way to go. It was such a little event that made me realize that.
I was walking with my dog on the front yard of our house in the evening. It was pretty dark. I have to say that we do not live in a very nice neighborhood, and I do not really feel very safe to be outside at night. Suddenly some guy ran out from the corner of our house. He seemed big and violent in his approaching me. But he tripped on the roots of the tree and fell. I was scarred and my dog started barking. I really thought that he was going to harm me or frighten me, and I said something like "What is that?!" He stood up and walked away really ashamed to the sound of my dog's growling. Only in a few seconds did I realize that it was just a boy running to his home in our neighborhood. I saw him entering the house not far from ours. I also realized that instead of asking him if he is hurt I was too egoistic to assume that he wants to harm me and was overprotective. I felt so bad about this situation. I am trying to get rid of this Russian habit of not-trusting strangers and being suspicious but after 4 years of living here I still have it. There is always a reason for self-improvement, I guess.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

GMO or GM foods

Before I came to the US, I heard a lot of Russians telling me that food in the U.S. does not taste the same as Russian food. They were even saying that they asked their family and friends to send them food from Russia, so they could enjoy the real taste for once. When I came to live here, I realized how right they were.
I read some articles about GMO, and as I understood, we are now exposed to it mostly if we are shopping in big supermarkets and go for processed food. I prefer shopping in Asian or Armenian stores, because there is a huge difference in the quality of vegetables and fruits they and other supermarkets sell. The food from these markets actually has taste! My husband and I often have big discussions concerning how the certain fruit should look and taste. He likes perfectly looking peaches and plums, that give him a crunch when he bites them. I like soft imperfect fruits that my husband calls spoilt. Mine taste like in childhood, they are juicy and smell good. His do not smell at all. This difference in our perceptions of food tells me one thing: our cultures are developed in completely different conditions, and one of them is the businesses' desire to increase the selling qualities of the products no matter what. I feel sad about this issue, because it makes me think that I am not enjoying my life to the fullest. The reason is that some guy wants his crops to be presentable and sellable even if he scarifies the flavor and the smell of his product. I am not even talking about the scientists' lack of clarity on the effects on health the GM food can cause. I am just talking about that bad bad quality stuff that we consume like pigs or cows not thinking about the respect that the GM food manufacturers do not give us. Another issue about the GMO is that it is getting harder and harder to find natural products in the stores. The Whole Foods store admits that they sell GMO too. http://www.NaturalNews.com/032628_Whole_Foods_GMOs.html.
That is why I am growing my strawberries and herbs on the backyard and hope to expand my garden with time. Of course, I have a lot of pests that like to harvest my strawberries before I do, but it is worth growing vegetables and fruits yourself, if they taste good and definitely good for you.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Hello! I stayed at home today to keep working on the portraits, because my friend wanted me to correct the second one a little. I am very happy with them, and now she seems happy as well. I cannot wait to go to Russia and give the originals to her in person.
I am a little disappointed that I will probably not be taking any classes at winter while I am in Russia. Last year, when I went there, I took two online classes in LAVC, and, although it was very difficult to study and spend quality time with my family, I managed to enjoy my time in Russia and get two As in the end of that short semester. Now it seems that LAVC is spending money more on useless reconstruction of parking lots, new library and administrative buildings instead of actually educating its students, which is supposed to be its primary purpose. I do not even know anymore if I want to continue education just to get the degree. I see so many older people who attend the art classes with me, who have bachelors degrees in arts, and they are barely better than me right now. I would rather try to attend separate classes in different private and non-acredited schools to get really good. Instead of getting the degree and working in the art field as an employee for some gallery, design company, or I do not know what, I would rather be who I honestly want to be - the free artist who is able to support her living through the paintings she makes. I know that it sounds a little childish, but I am a dreamer, and I guess I feel much younger than I am, so it fits me and can work! The traditional way my family and the family of my husband earn money is pressing on me though. I know that they do not consider our business important or even real. When I told my parents last Saturday that I am making paintings for my friends, they were surprised to find out that I have actually charged them. Surgeons do not do surgeries for free, teachers do not usually teach for free, I hope, everybody wants to eat, even us, artists, who might as well, on most people's opinion, consume soul food.

Monday, October 24, 2011

I am rushing to finish my second portrait before it is officially Tuesday! I am pretty happy with the results but still have to finish the clothes on the second portrait. It is amazing that every time I come back to the old media, like pastel or charcoal, I feel that using other media helped me to improve my skills in using them as well. I would say that these new portraits are the best pastel portraits I have ever made. Well, I will update this post as soon as I am done with the portrait, and I will also put that caricature that I was supposed to put on Sunday.




Here are the products of my talent and skills. I really do not know what to add. I feel exhausted right now. But I promise that I will put here the step-by-step instruction on how to do portraits using pastel.

Friday, October 21, 2011

I am starting to draw a portrait of the first of my friend's nephews. I will try to photograph the process and put it out here. This blog was originally created for this purpose. I am a little excited, very nervous and tiny bit negative about painting with pastel again. I used to use pastel as one of the first color mediums for my artwork and never got absolutely amazing at it, but got very tired of it. I just hope that today is one of these days when everything is going to be easy and right from the start. I guess I just need some inspiring music. How about Danny Elfman and Hanz Zimmer? I love these two composers, and it might sound strange that I listen to soundtracks to movies, but I think their music is a real art, fine art that compliments other kind of art without being too obvious. I keep re-watching The Sherlock Holmes mostly because of Zimmer's soundtracks!

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Yesterday all evening until about one in the morning and today for a little more I was cutting my dog's hair! She is a Cocker Spaniel, and her hair grows so fast. My husband and I decided not to take her to  a groomer this time, because it is usually pretty expensive, and most groomers we had shaved Zoey too close to her skin, and it bugged her a lot. So, I decided that I can do it myself and started. I used my hubby's hair cutting machine, but Zoey just hated every moment of it. In the end, I was exhausted, Zoey was half-dead, and we went to sleep to continue today. I just want to say - I respect groomers so much now! I do not know how they handle poor animals that probably try to run away from them, and I imagine that they might hurt pets a little, but so did I to my poor little puppy. I just think they know how to do it less and much faster. So, next time we are going to Petsmart for a full grooming service.
Here is the result of the torture:

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

OMG! I am waiting for my client to approve the last version (of maybe three of them) of the caricature I finished coloring today. It is always so nerve-racking to wait for a reply and not know whether the clint likes it or they would want some changes that I cannot make. I guess, working with people is always that way. But it just makes me feel that I do not want to do art according to the requests of clients. Instead, I want people to choose my art because of how it looks and not try to add their stuff in it. I have been working with people's requests from day one of my art career, when I started as a caricature artist in CityWalk, Orlando, FL. I met a lot of different kinds of people with crazy stuff to request. There were some really funny and nice people as well.
For example, one day a young lady came and said that she wants me to make her caricature for the invitations to the party her friends are throwing honoring her as a medical university graduate. She said they told her to make photos of herself, but she hates taking photos, so she decided to get a caricature instead. She seemed very nervous and asked if she could get a Margarita before I start drawing her. She did and became very happy and joyful! While I was drawing her, we were talking about her degree and other stuff. She told me that she has a Russian friend who introduced her to Russian cuisine, and now she is a big fan of it. I even promised to send her a recipe of the Russian dish we were talking about. Unfortunately, I lost her e-mail address. But it was very nice to have such an interesting client. She made my day!
Well, I got approved for the last version of the caricature!!! I will post it on Sunday just in case if my client's boyfriend searches the Internet for "Frank and Brittany."( period before quotation mark!) Now, I have to start the pastel portraits of my friend's two nephews. When am I going to continue my beautiful acrylic portrait again!?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Today I spent all day painting my watercolor experiment project and I want to say: it sucks!
I get too carried away with pretty much unlimited possibilities... and lose the essence of the artwork with its objects and shapes. Art has almost never been so hard for me. 
Yesterday I drew a caricature for our client for her and her boyfriend's anniversary. It came out very nice and now either my hubby or I will just need to color it. I noticed that many people try to get a caricature gift as a last idea before the event, that is why we have to work fast and efficient to give them a gift on time. I do not mind, in fact, I think it is better because it also keeps the client responding faster, and we get the job done quicker.
Well, it is time to go to the watercolor class and show my "masterpiece" to all my classmates and my professor. I just wish I did not have to.

Monday, October 17, 2011

What a day! I just got two more orders for a caricature and a portrait to make by the end of the month! How will I ever make time to spend on my big wonderful acrylic painting!? I love it and hate it so much! I hate that so far I could not make it as great as I imagined but I love it because I know that once I am done and when I am finally done, it will look amazing. New week starts as I am writing this... Time slowly moves forward while I am sitting in the place...
Shocked by the Sodium Laureth Sulfate's dangerous effects I decided to find the natural shampoo. First, as a true Russian, I found the folk Russian recipe of shampoo: egg yolk and a tablespoon of brandy. Of course, it did not foam, and the smell was first very strong because of the alcohol, then because of an egg. But the result was impressive: I now have shiny, healthy looking hair. The smell stayed though. So I went to Target and got Sulfate-free Loreal shampoo which does not have the dangerous ingredient but it has some other scary ingredients that contain sulfoacetate, sodium and lauryl and laureth words in them in different combinations. Well, I will try it and decide whether I should continue with the yolk or keep looking for a more civilized kind of a natural shampoo.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

While I am waiting for my parents in Skype, which is our every week's tradition for several years, I decided to write here something. I just want to say that I know myself perfectly in times of painting and being disappointed and discouraged but I also know that I just have to keep going. I spent all day painting the portrait and I slowly move towards its "ok" look so I could at least post the pictures here, but I guess it will not happen at least until tomorrow... Everything looks wrong right now and I am trying to push myself to keep going and not feel too bad because I know that at some point I will be satisfied and encouraged to put finishing details on it and make it look awesome, I really mean awesome. I need to make this portrait the best I have ever made and I will not come down until it looks gorgeous.
I am sitting at home all day alone and feel like an outcast. I think it is my husband's responsibility to take me out somewhere tomorrow, or I will be very mad!!! Hope you will read it before tomorrow ends, Victor! )))
To the rest of you, have a great Sunday!!!

Friday, October 14, 2011

Good evening! I am trying to paint today but so far I succeeded very little. I cannot build the structure of the faces easily yet and takes me forever to make them look right. The colors also look artificial. I noticed that when I just start a painting I use crazy nice colors thinking about the theme and emotional value of the  painting. But then.... When it comes to making the faces into something that has features and details I just tend to cover it all up with nasty, ugly, boring color... What should I do? How can I see what I am supposed to see? I don't know... I have a couple of days to make the portrait look nice so I could take it to my professor and ask her what else I have to add or change. I trust her.
My story with the travel company that charged me twice for my ticket still did not come to an end. I do not know why I cannot get my money back and whether it is the fault of the travel agent or my bank is taking to long to update the statement. But I know that for sure I am not ordering my tickets in the future from a little unknown company like www.SmartFares.com.
I cannot wait to go to Russia. I feel that this trip will change my understanding of life the way it is now. I need it. Besides I am looking forward to meeting my friends and family and spending holidays with them. Even watching TV on holidays there is a lot of fun!!! They show the same movies and programs every year each year like they do during holidays in the USA. But I grew up on Russian movies and I enjoy it much more there. One famous movie is called "The Irony of Destiny, or S Legkim Parom!", the second part is hard to translate because it does not really have an English equivalent. The say this phrase when you come out after taking a shower or a bath. It literally means "Congratulations on light steam!" - haha! Sounds weird, right? But I guess it came from the times when people in Russia did not have showers or bathtubs. They went to Russian sauna, banya. It is a building where they heat the water using fire, and if you saw the movies, spank each other with bunches of birch branches. If the temperature in banya is too high, you can start feeling bad, and when you come out you can pass out. That is why, I think, they wish you a "light steam" so it would not hit you when you are coming out after a bath. Later I will tell you the story of this movie because it is interesting and funny. But for now, have a great weekend!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Well, I feel much better today and ready to live again!
Today, on October, 13, we are going to Shakey's restaurant http://www.shakeys.com/ in Glendale to do the fundraiser of my husband's volleyball team and the boys' volleyball team from JMHS. My husband offers free caricatures for customers and the restaurant offers amazing pizza and potato mojo. I love going there because I get to eat and watch my hubby draw, and the atmosphere in the place is so warm and lovely.
I will post an update of how the fundraiser went in the evening. Good luck to us.
Update - as I promised. The fundraiser went very well. Even thought we did not make a lot of money this bonding trip the team made was very beneficial for everyone. Parents met the coach, team hung out together, it was a lot of fun. And, of course, the caricatures that Victor (my hubby) drew were the center of attention in the restaurant! Plus, the Hawaiian Delight pizza was as always amazingly delicious! We had a great time!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

What a horrible morning!!!!

I do not know whether the beer my husband and I drank yesterday affected me this way or the food I ate or it is my body that does not want to function today, but I feel bad, very bad. I was trying to revive myself with vitamins, lots of water and good food, but it just does not seem to work. So here I am without a single positive note of yesterday in myself trying to figure out how to spend the rest of this day.
Yesterday I figured out what kind of T-shirt design I want to make first. It is going to be a girl riding a painting brush like a broom with or without "I am an artist of my life" written under. I think it is all about execution and hope I will not lose interest in this before I am done with the design. I do not want it to be too "witchy": I am not into Halloween too much. I just want it to be joyful and bright! There is this wonderful Soviet times Russian cartoon that is called "The Rooster and the Paints" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3QdcQEZLDw. I have always love this cartoon and I am so inspired by it. I just want the sweeps of color filling my design as the paint kids were coloring the rooster. I just need to recover first!
Have a good time whenever you read this.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

What an amazing day!

What a great evening! I went to Carter Sexton art store with my watercolor class today. The people at the store were so hospitable and nice to all of us. They had a watercolor art exhibition in the store, so we went there to see how other artists can paint and to enjoy some pizza :-) . The art really impressed me: miniature paintings were displayed. The details on them were so perfect and the techniques were new to me.
I also met a friend who works there now, Jeremy. We used to work together as caricature artists in Universal Studios Park in Hollywood. It was so nice to see him to be happy to work there and making his dream of becoming a freelance artist come true. I applied to work there as well because the place seems to have a special artistic atmosphere that can help me get into art even more. Hopefully I am good enough for them.
The day went so well and now I have to do some laundry and enjoy the beer that my friend stuck into my purse while we were in the store so we could drink it with my hubby at home later! Thank you Elaine!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Nice day it was!!! I enjoy going to English class, it makes me relaxed and happy especially after nasty thoughts about my financial situation. After I booked my flight ticket last week the company charged my credit card several times and now I have difficulty getting them to solve this problem. Well, there is not a good beginning to this journey, but I don't want to be superstitious.
I am reading the political science textbook and today I started a chapter on media coverage of politics. God, it feels like even though there is freedom of speech in this country, there is also always propaganda, agenda setting, etc. that both media and politicians are managing. That is very sad.
On a bright side of today, my husband's volleyball team finally won the games with Lincoln High School.  I am so proud of girls and my hubby! It was not easy for them, the other team was very strong, but they managed to do it, and I want to congratulate them. John Marshall High School volleyball girls rule!

Friday, October 7, 2011

I finally started painting the portrait for my friend because I decided it is cruel to make the girl wait for a month for the time when my muse will finally come. It kinda appeared yesterday and said "Common, Masha, you cannot be so lazy!!"... and I just made a first wash to give the canvas some color. I am waiting until it is dry to make a sketch to help me set up features.
A lot of my friends ask me to make them a T-shirt with my design on it when they find out that I am doing it now. So what design should I make? I love the "girls" theme. My favourite artist is Alphonse Maria Mucha who was one of the kind master. People consider him to be the Art Nouveau artist although he denied being connected with this movement during his life. His artwork is exceptional. It is just pure perfection. He showed women in his posters and paintings as goddesses, fragile and gentle creatures who are admired by everyone who looks at them. He used a lot of nature motives and ornaments in his art as well. I constantly get inspired by his artwork, every time I have to work on a new big project I look at his art and get in the mood. I would like to express the best features that a true woman would have both in my art and in my life. In the same time I feel that I am not finding the essence of these features but I am copying them visually. I have to get deeper in it. Music seems to help me a lot to feel the art through and feel what concept I want to put in the painting or drawing. I have a playlist of old and new songs that I put on random choice playing and with every song my mood changes. The last artist I discovered thanks to my friend is a French girl with nickname Zaz. I just love her song "Je Veux". It fills me up with love and joy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ9zeDd0mpg Just listen to it!!! I believe the place where she sings the song is Montmartre, the place that connects the artists I love!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

I am one of these people who tend to make plans, have a lot of dreams and change them as soon as the new event happens in my life. I am a dreamer, it is a big part of me, and I am doing it with professionalism. Let me tell you what dreams I have:
1. I want to become a great fine artist. I don't know in which direction I will go yet. There are so many kinds of art I tried and loved and so many that I haven't tried yet but I already love the way other people do it. I am in the middle of my studying and hopefully be improving for the rest of my life. I would really love to travel and learn from different masters all over the world, which is my second dream.
2. I want to travel a lot. I used to travel with my family and I gained so much knowledge about different cultures and so much experience that it seems to be one of the reasons why I respect myself the most. If my third dreams comes true I will be able to go to Europe to live there one day, if my husband doesn't mind, of course.
3. I want to make good money doing what I love. Since I left Russia this dream doesn't leave me. I want to be able to do art and sell it. So simple... That's why we are planning our new online business that will make us satisfied with our accomplishments and wealthy.
4. I want to have a baby someday. Well, I know how we will make this dream come true.... We just need to make all the pervious dreams come true first.
5. I want to feel and look the best I can without any plastic surgeries. I have a limit - I don't want to modify my body with the scalpel. But I want to be healthy, eat right, look sexy and strong, be able to do something like parkour if I want to, and always be in shape. I started eating less sugar and try to be more active when I can. I love movement and I want it to be a constant activity that I do independently from any circumstances.
It is time to talk about the Sodium Laureth Sulfate and its derivate Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. I found this very laconic and "refreshing" article about them http://www.natural-health-information-centre.com/sodium-laureth-sulfate.html. It seems like we have a great risk of having all kinds of complications varying from skin irritation to dangerous poisoning if we keep using them. And the only reason for the companies to choose this ingredient is because it is cheap. Of course, we like when the shampoo gives us luscious foam that we can work into our beautiful hair, we like to have our dogs be free from fleas and ticks and wash the dishes till they have a pleasant squeaky sound. But it is worth the risk of having complications?
I started noticing this ingredient a while ago and keep making sure that my products have it ))) every time I buy them... What was the most irritating for me before I found out how harmful it could be is that:
See the "Dermatologist tested soap-free formula"? See the Sodium Laureth Sulfate as the second ingredient? I just don't understand what they mean by soap then! Yes, it does not have soap, it has SLES! Does it feel better? Who are they trying to fool? Us. And they are doing it perfectly. Behind those beautiful moisture beads and amazing fragrances there is a scary and undefinable chemistry that most of us don't understand or don't care about.
It also just feels bad to use the same ingredient to wash your body, your dishes and floors and to get rid of ticks and fleas on your dog, doesn't it? That is why we should all go to Trader Joe's and get the shampoo that doesn't produce foam and smells just ok but it will leave your hair in a better condition. We should look at what we buy and make sure it is good for us so later we wouldn't have some unknown kind of cancer and hormonal imbalance.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Just came back from game that my husband's volleyball team had with Eagle Rock High School. I am exhausted and so frustrated that we lost again! I just wish that referees would be fair and girls wouldn't give up so easily.
Tomorrow I need to start my homework for the week because I didn't have any time to do it earlier. Hopefully it will be easy and calm tomorrow.
My parents and friends found out that I am coming and are very happy! My mom said she grew wings and flies now and my dad is "frying chickens"as he says while waiting for me! I guess it is one of these phrases that came from a movie and stayed in our family for often use.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Today I feel a little anxious and my head is going around because I have just bought the tickets to Russia!
I felt the nostalgia for my country for a long time. It's strange that the more I live in the US the more often I feel the need to go to Russia. Last time my husband and I went there last winter and it turned out worse that I dreamed about it.
The very first misadventure happened on the day when we were supposed to fly from LAX to Moscow to  then catch a flight to my city called Chelyabinsk. Long story short, I had two Russian passports in the document drawer - one was expired and another one was new. It turned out that I took an expired one and we found out about it only when in the LAX at flight registration a lady asked if I had a new passport, which fist made me shocked, then made me desperate, then afraid of losing the tickets, etc. It was the worst mistake I did in my life. We ended up paying a few extra hundreds dollars to change the tickets to fly in two days. Another big failure was that it was all happening on Christmas Eve and we were supposed to be in Russian by then to celebrate my grandmother's birthday and we missed everything.
When we finally got to Russia, time went so fast. We spent there a month, but it flew by in an instant. In the middle of January I got poisoned and it was another horrible experience. 
I have never been so sick before, but this time I even passed out on the floor in the bathroom and amazing things started happening to me. I felt that everything is getting dark, my ears closed and I could barely hear anything, I couldn't keep my eyes opened, and I could only hear my mom yelling to my dad "Should we call the emergency?"
When I heard it, this phrase made me get all my consciousness together and wake up! My family were very frightened but I convinced them not to call for doctor because I felt much better. They gave me hot sweet tea which was the most delicious tea I have ever drunk. It gave me strength immediately. We never realized what caused poisoning.
The month passed by and we left at night after my other grandmother's birthday. I felt very sad and unsatisfied by our trip. That's why I hope that now that I go there for a little longer and by myself I will have more time with my family and friends and enjoy it to the fullest!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Good day to you all!!! My blog's statistics shows that I have visitors who find my blog interesting and read it from the countries all over the world! So follow me!

Last weekend was interesting. The biggest news is that I am officially looking for the flight tickets to go to Russia right after Christmas and right before the New Year Eve to visit my family and friends and get some fresh frozen fluffy snow all over me!!! If I can find a good deal and go for it, it will be the first time I travel away from my hubby who is staying here, hopefully to do his gorgeous coaching of two club teams. We didn't leave each other for four years and it will be very hard for me to go by myself. But I am sure that it is going be ok and we both will enjoy communicating through Skype and AOL messenger the way we did when we just met.

On Sunday we went to buy groceries to Alhambra and found this amazing huge Asian supermarket 168 where food is very fresh and cheap. We actually prefer going to shop in Asian markets - you can always be sure to get the best food. We got some sushi grade salmon and tuna and made some nigiri and sashimi for dinner. Not far from that place there is also a great Vietnamese restaurant where they have the best banh-mi sandwiches and a traditional soup called Pho! It is very cheap and very delicious! So we got some of that as well! ))) We might not seem like eating a lot, but we do love eating and cooking!! It is particularly my passion, because of which I sometimes get in trouble. My mother-in-law occasionally exploits me for making some food for her church or school where she works. Last week my hubby and I were making the traditional apple pie that none of us ever made before! It was a lot of nerves spent and a lot of frustration expressed but in the end it turned out unexpectedly delicious and very similar to the actual traditional apple pie! I know, I know, some day I will bring it to school.. maybe.. )))

Finally, I spent some time painting again. Here is the result. I feel I am getting there, I start to feel watercolor better and find the ways to handle it!


This is that painting I did when we went to the Forever cemetery last week. 

I painted this one from the photo. Big difference.

COLOR!!!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Hello there!
I was so busy doing things today that I almost forgot to share my news of the days with you. My husband's volleyball varsity team is going to a tournament tomorrow. He just accepted a very talented girl from a junior varsity team to a varsity one and we had another girl go away from the team so she left her jersey with her last name. I was going to help my husband to put the name of the new girl instead of the old one, so we went to buy the fabric to cover it up and I was going to paint the new name on the piece of it and sew it to the jersey. My hubby wrote the name "Nunes" on the paper and went to practice with girls. I spend a few hours to go what I planned and it came out almost perfectly. When my husband came back he was really impressed by my work and praised me but then.... he noticed that I wrote "Nunes" and realized it should be "Nunez" instead. ))) He was trying to scratch it off, suggested to cover it again.... poor guy! What is hilarious about it is that he is a very educated and attentive man, but it's his second time in his coaching career that he misspells words. The first time was when he made an amazing caricature of the team in the end of previous season and he put "volleball" on it. We only noticed it when he gave about thirty copies of it to the girls and they told us that the word is wrong!
Well, at least he is talented! )))

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Today we went to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery! I was looking forward to it for a lot time and was very excited. My husband and I visited it before but today we went there to sketch and paint. I cannot really explain my love to cemeteries. There is something very emotional, very mysterious about the place where so many people of different eras and lives are buried.
I loved going to the cemeteries since childhood. My parents took me to the Russian cemetery where my great grandmother and my grandfather from my mom's side are buried. We would meet there with my far relatives to fix the lawn around the graves and basically have a picnic with each other and past generations. It wouldn't really be any rituals except when my grandmother would pray a little and talk with the graves, but it was not creepy, it seemed to be perfectly normal.
Today I searched for the place to set up for a painting and I found this beautiful big family grave stone with the last name "Laffer-Spencer" on it. It was a main object on my painting and so I wondered who these people were and what they were like. These questions along with how they died visit me often when I walk between graves. I believe my walk and curiosity is reviving these people, some very old, some just babies. Thanks to us who come to cemeteries to remember our relatives, to visit celebrity graves or just to look at strangers' graves the memory and the honor of these people keep on living. That's why it's one of my artistic dreams to learn how to make gravestones. It's such an emotional kind of art that connects an artistic expression with the grief, pain, sadness, love, desperation - the strongest emotions that a person can have. There is also a story behind each memorial statue or a gravestone and I love when a stranger can tell who the person was just by looking at their grave.
I don't know when I will die but I know that no matter how I will die I want my grave to be able to speak with strangers and tell them who I was.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Today I took time to get it over with this week's homework for my two online classes I take. Tomorrow - only painting and spending time with the family! I guess tomorrow is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish "New Year", according to http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday2.htm so my husband has a short practice with the team in the morning and then he is mine.
I finished reading a very nice book for my anthropology class - the First Fieldwork by Barbara Gallatin Anderson. It's a first person story about the author's yearlong journey to a little island village Taarnby, Denmark, to study the local culture. This journey reminded me of mine, when in 2005 I went to the USA for the first time as an exchange program participant. It changed my life - sounds corny but it is true. I became more independent and strong. It gave me opportunity to compare my culture with another cultures and for short three months I was a part of a new culture. I have travelled to Europe before and it gave me grandiose impressions but I never felt so closely involved in a foreign culture before. It was a very interesting experience.
"Anyways" as the main hero from "Nacho Libre" movie says, I am going to make myself and my husband a nice Nutella sandwich and go to watch "The Happening" on our DVD. I liked most of M. Night Shyamalan's movies and I am sure I will like this one. Have a good evening as well!


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

I spend first part of the day painting like I promised to myself. It was partially frustrating because when I compare my painting with the ones from the books it is still a long way to me to compete with them! ))) But I know I am getting there. In an hour I will go to my watercolor class and find out what everybody thinks about them but I want to show you first.


This weird thing is some kind of seed from a palm tree.

This one is painted on a mat board which proved to be pretty interesting.


The idea is to paint the details of an object from nature.



These are miniature roses that dried out and were very poetic.


The more I look for examples of the work in the books the more I improve. It didn't really help me when I was painting in acrylics but now it's very useful for some reason.
Good luck to me! )))

Monday, September 26, 2011

Very inspired today!

It's a new week and as it usually happens I am making great plans for the next several days. I have so much to do and by the end of week I always feel so exhausted to do anything extra that I give myself a break! But not this week! I promise! 
First of all, I feel that it's time to start losing that weight I gained in the end of last semester. So inspired by my husband who lost LOTS of weight during this summer by just skipping on one thing, I will stop eating sugar. I believe this is the video that changed his mind about sugar - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM. Of course, I will give myself a couple of easy days by eating honey instead, but this time I am really serious - I want to be healthy.
Another thing I want to start is to paint again. Not just intensively painting for my watercolor class like I did before. I want to paint my orders, paint for myself, paint for my portfolio. Watercolor is so difficult for me. I never had such problems with any other media, even the airbrush. I feel a little frustrated but I am trying to get some books and learn what other artist do to make it look right.
Oh yeah, and I finally have to get my dog washed and trimmed. My poor "puppy" (who is an almost 4-year old Cocker Spaniel girl) is looking so sad these days - she only sleeps and, well, goes out for a couple of minutes to the back and front yard. I can tell her itching and scratching is annoying her as much as us and her ears bug her a lot, so we have to take care of it.



Sunday, September 25, 2011

Nice and useful weekend it was! Yesterday I guess it was nice part of it - my husband's team and us went to a Korean BBQ restaurant. It was my first time and it was delicious. You pretty much cook your meat yourself on the grill that it situated in the center of the table. It is very unusual!
Today we did a useful part of the weekend and went to the art store to buy the silk screens for printing volleyball team's T-shirts! I cannot wait to do it! They are going to be awesome!

Friday, September 23, 2011

It's evening here and I am planning to call my grandmothers now. They both live in Russia and it's 13 hours difference between us so they are probably going to wake up now. I always feel a little nervous before calling them, I didn't hear them for so long... When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time with them and never thought some day it's going to be ok for me not to see or hear them for a while. I am afraid of it a lot. They are, in the same time, are wonderfully positive and so strong-spirited I admire them! They both went through the WWII, hunger, poverty, and after the war stood on their feet and created such a great place for my parents to grow up in that it sounds like a fairytale. 
My grandma from the father side, Zinaida, was working as a cook and she still loves cooking. She is the one who taught me how to make her famous pastries with poppy seeds and be creative. The stories she told to my brother and me when we were little are amazing and she still remembers them better that me. My grandma from my mom side, Valentina, was teaching in the primary school, and teaching my mom, and teaching me and my brother how to be good and proper... well, she still teaches us and everyone else how to do things right. She has this very strong need for justice which I inherited from her. Her husband, my grandfather Petr, was a judge, so it was in the family. Valentina is still fighting with some local social program representatives to make their neighborhood nicer. 
My respect and great love goes to both of them. Well, I guess now is a good time to call! See you later!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Hello, 
     I am not in a very good mood today which always brings me a lot of philosophical thoughts. I read my instructor's comment on my essay from an anthropology class that I take online that my sentences sound very awkward. I frustrated me of course. I have been living in the US for 4 years now and I still cannot write as a normal American. But what also annoyed me a little is that it sounds hypocritical for my instructor who is aware that I am a Russian immigrant to comment on my essay that way when she is trying to teach us cultural relativism, understanding of other cultures, tolerance, etc. Sometimes the way I write the sentence is a translation of how I would say it in Russian. I am learning the way I am supposed to write in English, but my Russian is just my first native language and it comes through a lot. 

     This situation also reminded me of how my speech instructor was teaching us last year. She seemed a very open-minded and creative person and encouraged us to be creative too. I was shocked and absolutely terrified when I found out that each of the speeches we present have, HAVE to have exactly the same structure in order for us to get a good grade. It was so ridiculous when we were listening to others speak and could clearly identify what a person will say next. And it was the same for informative, persuasive, narrative speeches... how is that possible!? Normal people don't talk like that, and if they did it would be a robot talk. 

     As an artist I feel confused. Why in visual art everybody does what they want, how they "feel", yet in writing and speaking it's so much more controlled? There are so many wonderful and unusual ways to express yourself using words whether they are written or spoken.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Hello,
Today I spent a day with my husband's volleyball team in the John Marshall High school. It's his first year coaching as a head coach and he is so dedicated. We are trying to make a plan of mental training for the girls so it wouldn't stop them from playing during the games. Attitude is so important for them and so much depends on it.
Also, of the news, I got my painting and a drawing back from a student gallery at LAVC after their displaying it last and the beginning of this semester. I also got a note from my professor C. Bishop that somebody wants me to paint their portrait. I am so excited that I start getting orders for portraits. My husband and I have a business drawing caricatures and portraits (www.moloriki.com) but so far we have only got the orders for custom caricatures or a party caricature artist who comes and draws guests at our clients' party. Portraits weren't so popular so far until I started using paint instead of pastels. Now I really feel I am comfortable with this medium and ready to paint!

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Yesterday you, Professor Oberman, said you teach art in school as well. It's interesting for me to find out what art appreciation ideas you have.
I mean, I have met people who say that it's great to make art as long as you are happy, like the art therapy, it doesn't mean that your art will be good, but just do it just to improve your creativity. I can see how this ideology applied in LAVC in some art classes. I met people who create the artwork that seems done without effort, talent and skills. I don't understand why they would go to school and be encouraged to do that same art professionally and not try to change it pretty much.
There are few people like me, though, who, I guess, are traditionalists. We believe that it's not good to call a bad artwork good. I don't mean by the bad artwork the one I don't like. I mean the one that doesn't have good composition, color pallet, concept, and most of all, done without effort. It's cheating to me. I am supposed to look at it and admire or try to find "something" about it when the artist themselves didn't even put this idea in their art. What am I supposed to find there then? So people like me try to grasp the art knowledge, they apply traditional art techniques, get usually good at it first, and only then start experimenting and creating something unique. I think it's more honest and valuable to create art with effort and skill and not just with emotions because everybody has emotions but only people with skills and talent can interpret and express them beautifully.

Monday, September 19, 2011

It's a new day, it's a new life!!!

Good morning, new week! I really hope you will be gentle and nice to me because I am planning to start building my design collection finally!
Last summer I started learning about silk screen printing which turned out very interesting. First of all, I love to do art with my hands, and this kind of printing really let's use your hands a lot! Second, I still can create amazing designs on my computer and learn this kind of art which I didn't get interest in until now. Third, it's a great feeling to wear the clothes with the designs you created. I have already made one shirt for myself with a super exclusive flamingo design.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

So my friend approved my sketch and now I can start painting! I only took one painting class so far, it was intro to painting with acrylic paints last semester. I enjoyed it immensely and improved so much that I feel pretty confident painting in acrylics now. The Art department in LAVC where I take classes is amazing. I respect out art instructors and learn from them so much. This semester, unfortunately, I only take a Watercolor painting class but I hope it is enough to keep me "alive" until spring when I am planning to take mostly art classes.
I got into art very late although I was always in love with it. When I was a child I wanted to become a poet. Then I took seven years of musical education. Then I was planning to become an actress and a theatrical critic. And while I had these dreams I was studying computer science in economics and a professional translation in a Russian university - the South Ural State University. Then the unexpected event happened - I went to the US for a summer student program and fell in love with an American guy. In a year and a half we made me a fiance visa and moved to Orlando, FL. Unfortunately, I didn't finish my Russian education, so I didn't know what to do on a new land. And I started drawing. I was drawing while spending time in the park where my husband worked as a caricature artist. His boss noticed my fast improvement and invited me to work as an artist as well. I agreed. That's how it all started.
Now I feel that I made a right choice by changing my major and doing what I really love. I have unlimited  possibilities while I am drawing, I can feel it! I know I have a lot of difficulties ahead of me but I am sure that I can overcome them just because what I do is right and good.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

I did this sketch for the portrait yesterday. I apologize for the quality. I'm pretty happy with the likeness, just need to get it approved by my friend as well as the composition of the picture.
I love drawing and painting people. I started drawing about three and a half years ago as a caricature and portrait artist in CityWalk Orlando, FL and never stopped drawing since. A man is my favorite subject because through people I can express emotions, mood and concept in the best way. Person in the picture attracts attention right away, it's proven in psychological studies. That's why most of my art contains people in it.

Friday, September 16, 2011

I created this blog to share with you my artwork, my current thoughts about art, emotions and feelings about what is going on in the art world. I hope it will be interesting for you to see how I develop my talents and skills with every post.
Currently I am working on a very special project. I will be painting a family portrait for my friend Danielle. It's going to be a childhood picture with her, her sister and their beloved dog Faith who has just passed away. The emotions about this picture are very strong both from my "client" and myself. I will be posting the progress of work when I get my first sketches done.