I was born and raised in L�viv, Ukraine, and now I call Canada my home. At the age of 11, I started my first formal academic training in the L�viv Independent School of Art. After finishing high school, I had no doubt in my mind about my career choice. In 1996, I entered the Ivan Trush L�viv State College of Decorative and Applied Arts and graduated in 2001 with a B.F.A. After painting professionally for 10 years, I can honestly say that college gave me a solid foundation to develop and apply my skills in a truly creative way, but none of that would be possible without the endless support of my mother and my beloved husband.
It didn�t take me a long time to realize that the main subject of my paintings has to be a woman�s face, body, emotions and desires. For so many years as an art student, I was obsessed by the masterpieces of Alphonse Mucha, Dante Rossetti, Toulouse-Lautrec, Dali, Degas, and Klimt etc. The list is very long, and now this obsession; some of which can bring me to disbelief in myself, is converting into my own little chefs-d'oeuvres. Nothing gives me more inspiration than the face of a woman and I am convinced that it will take me a lifetime to tell its stories on canvas
For the past 6 years I have been privileged to teach art were I bring my training, my skill and my passion to life and share it with my students.I am versatile in expressive styles. I have adapted many genres, including portraiture, still life and landscape.
Please enjoy my gallery and hopefully you will find a painting that will brighten your home with colour and joy!
Oksana Zhelisko joined Pixels.com Licensing on May 1st, 2012.
