For me, as for many of my collectors, moving to Australia has been a blessed and life-changing experience. At the same time, it doesn’t erase the feeling of missing home. Memory travels with us — through seasons, colours, familiar landscapes, and small visual details that stay deeply rooted inside.
Quite often, Ukrainian collectors commission artworks that reconnect them with home. These might be flowers remembered from a childhood garden, the softness of snow, the glow of golden autumn, or the unmistakable outlines of traditional Ukrainian architecture. These subjects carry emotional weight — they speak of belonging, memory, and personal history.
I find great meaning in creating these works, because I share the same feelings. Painting nostalgic themes allows me to revisit places and atmospheres that shaped me, while offering others a visual connection to what they hold dear. The artwork becomes more than an image; it becomes a bridge between past and present, between where we come from and where we are now.
Through these commissions, nostalgia turns into something tangible — a way to honour memory, identity, and the enduring connection to home, even when life unfolds far from it.
Spring Gives Us Hope was a fundraising exhibition by True Blue & a Little Bit of Yellow, held at Mona Vale Pop-Up Gallery on Sydney’s Northern Beaches from 17–28 October 2022. Unstoppable in our commitment, we continued to paint, exhibit, and raise funds to support those in need, using art as a way to respond, connect, and help. The exhibition was filled with colour and optimism — flowers, birds, and vibrant palettes came together to reflect renewal, resilience, and the emotional lift that spring brings. It was an uplifting visual response during a difficult time, offering light and hope through art. We are deeply grateful to everyone who visited, supported the exhibition, and purchased artworks. Your generosity made a real difference. Knowing that, once again, art could help support the people of Ukraine is something that continues to warm our hearts.
My journey with oil painting began in year 7, when I was studying at the State Secondary Art School in Kyiv, Ukraine — a highly selective school that required passing three entrance exams in painting, drawing, and composition. It was there that we transitioned from watercolours and gouache to the timeless medium of oils. I’ve always loved this classical medium. Oils have a long and rich tradition in fine art, and I’ve admired their depth, luminosity, and the way colours blend so seamlessly on the canvas. Working with oils teaches patience and reflection — they dry slowly, giving time to build layers with care and intention. I feel incredibly fortunate to have received proper academic training in the classical use of oils, alongside in-depth knowledge of anatomy, linear perspective, perception principles, and art history. That foundation continues to shape how I see and create today, allowing me to appreciate not only the technique but also the discipline and history behind every brushstroke.
