“Go and do the things you can’t. That is how you get to do them.” – Pablo Picasso

I believe that being an artist is a lifelong journey, full of hard work, doubts, profound discoveries, and perpetual learning.

I was fortunate to start my art education early, at age eight, and matured through years of classical Russian academic training in the fine arts. The artistic skills and knowledge of art that I gained from those years have helped me during my career: from industrial and graphic design in Russia; to storyboard and comp artist for advertising agencies in San Francisco; to conceptual art illustrator for corporate America and international clients.

I am very lucky to have pursued creative work all my life, and I am thankful for the opportunity to share my knowledge with a new generation of artists. To be surrounded by students, with their energy and creative ideas, and to be able to guide them to realize their goals inspires me in my own artistic development. To be present at the beginning of their careers and to contribute to the lives of young people is both a responsibility and an honor.

I seek to inspire artists and illustrators with as much passion as I have: from cultivating an appreciation of the beauty of a simple line in an academic drawing to helping them to realize their concepts and ideas into individual visual solutions while developing their own artistic styles. As I have discovered, teaching is an enjoyable, exciting and challenging experience. The core of my teaching philosophy consists of knowing the fundamentals of fine art and design, understanding the works of classical masters, engaging in rigorous training, daily practice and constant experimentation. Equally important for me as an educator is my immersing students in an enjoyable and positive atmosphere in the classroom and studio.