“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness”. – James Thurber .Classically trained in Eastern Europe, I began my career as an artist in L'viv, Ukraine. I entered the Ivan Trush College of Decorative Arts in 1996. There, I studied all aspects of art and decided to make painting, especially of murals, my specialty. In 2001, I held my first solo exhibition at the L'viv University of Ivan Franko. It was in preparing my works for this show that I realized I had a love for the medium of oil. For the past 17 years I call Edmonton my home .Over the past few years a lot of changes happened in my life that made me stop and reflect on my life and my goals. I have realized that when I live in the past or future, I miss out on the freedom and peace in the now. All the anger, fear, jealousy, envy, worry and doubt – these are all things that can feel real to us at the time we are experieNCing them. However, most of the time they are just in our mind and just excuses to hold on to the past or to live in tomorrow. The most important thing is to really feel our feelings, and not avoid them or try to suppress them in any way. I found a hard way that there is a certain mystery and freedom in the present. By inhaling every moment of now, seeking, asking and discovering I am creating my future and refuse to stay in the past. In one of my new series entitled “State of Mind” I am telling the story of one as an artist, a woman and a wondering soul. It is a minute, an hour, a lifetime journey of ups and downs, of happiness and joy or sometimes frustration and sorrow. It is a story about making peace with herself, about her road to inspiration and lust for life, because she is a woman .I hope you enjoy what I do .Thank you for being here. Oksana https://www.zheliskoart.com/about
