I want to tell you how the story about Katia's art really started.

I loved to work with my hands from the day one in my life. I was making little dolls and animals from scratch. I used little pieces of fabric, straw, yarn and found objects. I learned how to knit and sew from my mother when I couldn't read and write yet. It really helped me later in my teaching career to create learning materials. I started to draw making illustrations for my books and teaching guides when after getting my Master's in Russian linguistic and literature I worked in a US Peace Corps in Russian Far East.  Lack of good books and posters for the class room taught me how to be creative.

Last  months in Russia. celebrating my  b-day  with friends and family in my small home in Vladivostok.

John and Katia - my good friends from US Peace Corps. We met here in New England years later.

My first big peace of art was born here, in America, in 2002. I called it FISH OF MINE. I still have it. You can see it above. During my show at Westboro Gallery  in 2003 I was asked several times to discribe my style. I couldn't. I was asking people to take a look and tell me what they think. The closest discription I got was Leslie Anderson's from Boston Globe. She called her article about my show "Art that mixes things up". This is true. I work with wood and stone, plastic and plaster. I use acrylics and gold leaf, water colors and melted polymer. I love tiles. Stone tiles. They are very popular. Simple design, right coloring - and you have beautiful peace for your fire place or leaving room.

You can see my tiles and paintings at Westboro Gallery on 8 West Main Street, in Art Effects in Northboro on 10 Church street and 122 Elm Street in Millbury.