I dreamed of being an artist for as long as I remember myself. But growing up in Russia meant that excelling in school, piano lessons and dancing were a must and that did not leave too much time for anything else. When it came to choosing a career psychology sounded pretty interesting and the fact that entering a prestigious russian university would allow me to double major in English as well worked out just fine. By the time I realized I could've stood up for my dreams and asked my parents to put me in an art school it was a little too late. I had a degree in a secure field and would've probably went on with my life in some provincial town in Russia if things didn't change. I moved to USA at the age of nineteen and started going to local art shows and galleries, I discovered that technical abilities of an artist are not the most important attribute of his work. It was what the artwork did to the viewer what really mattered and the way it was achieved was secondary to the emotions it caused. I had a chance to dress up a narrow back room for a local furniture gallery where I worked at the time and to my biggest surprise people responded very well. People wanted to know who did it and what would it take for them to have it done in their homes. There it was, a beginning of my new career. Career in the field I was afraid to enter for so long, as I was afraid to fail, but in the end could not escape. 
 I live in Florida with my husband George, who's been a great support and inspiration for me from the very beginning of my career. I've done work all over Southern Florida, from Miami to Tampa and Sarasota and am looking forward to doing more.