Intriguing Nostalgia - Tanya Pshenychny

Intriguing Nostalgia

By Tracey Lien

From sweeping, subtle shades of water-colour drenched sheets of paper to sharp photographs that transport viewers into another dimension, Tanya Pshenychny's art is nothing short of brilliant.

Born in Ukraine and immigrating to the USA in 1994 when she was nine, Pshenychny is a self taught artist whose artworks are personal, yet have the ability to resonate with audiences through her sensitive use of the medium, and the whimsical and nostalgic themes she explores. Her quirky images of a Stormpede of thunderous cloud elephants are fun and evoke the inner child within us -- they're cute and clever and are sprinkled with charm.

Many of Pshenychny's water colour works are surreal and slightly out of this world, but they are, nevertheless, accessible and easy to appreciate. She sheds lightness and provides a jocular spin on dark themes; each of her illustrations and paintings contain a sense of innocence that saturates the page.

A bursting imagination aside, Pshenychny's artworks also display a strong talent for working with water colour and ink, with no marks going to waste as every brush stroke contributes something to the overall composition. Pshenychny's works are soft, but never weak. Every Bone is a clear illustration of this, with the artist drawing the skeletons with precision, and skillfully adding tone to give the images depth. Bad ideas is another notable piece from the artist's collection, with the artist showing excellent control of the paintbrush in her formation of clouds, the field, balloons, and the subject in the foreground.

Mink Magazine decided to catch up with Tanya Pshenychny to see what keeps her going and what makes her tick.



Here are Tanya's responses to my questions:
 
1. Where do you find the inspiration for your artworks?
 I find it everywhere, really. The environment, media, dreams, childhood memories, personal and observed situations, words, and lots of colors. Sometimes if I'm in a rut, I'll get out and try to notice little things. I'll just watch someone walking down the street, and notice their bright red coat against the grey stone wall they're walking past. Also, I love my music. When I'm home alone, I listen to it and sing along loudly as I draw.

2. What do you love most about art?
I love that a single piece of work can say so much, so many different things to different people.

3. What is your ultimate ambition?
I would love to create art for a living. I want to illustrate for magazines and books, participate in coffee shop and gallery shows, art fairs, etc. I want to freelance full time.

4. What are the best and worst things about being an artist?
The best thing is being able to create work that sends a message or evokes a reaction or feeling.  The worst thing is being seen as moody and lazy. Artists exist to create art and they work their asses off on it. Sometimes it can only be a hobby. Wouldn't you be moody if you had to flip burgers instead of doing what you love for a living? Unless you do love flipping burgers, of course.