illustration

Built, Not Bought: A Vintage Hanger Turned Studio Tool

Art workshops, Artist, ArtTravel, illustration

17 years of art experience and a pile of degrees, yet here I am at London Art College, sitting like a total freshman. (Honestly, that’s a ready-made punchline.)

It’s a generational engineering trauma: my family is physically incapable of simply buying a ready-made product. Fellow cheapskate artists will appreciate this 10/10.

Welcome to my mini-series, where I’m transforming a heavy oak hanger into a custom studio storyboard panel. Armed with an engineering degree, an illustrator’s eye, and a few everyday items, I’m building a creative workspace from scratch—one detail, texture, and sketch at a time.

Skipping boring, ready-made store options to flex my own designer storyboard…

So, it’s an old coat rack instead of the big online retail giants, turned into a storyboard that works like a puppet theater where you can slide frames up and down.

Creating StoryBoard Panel

I was not sure how to name this old-fashioned hanger, forgotten part of previous owners of my apartment. Maybe the Brief Hanger? Or the Draft Board? Finally the name was chosen as StoryBoard Panel because I am going to create new stories about my friends, characters and maybe animals…

Welcome – StoryBoard Panel

And to wrap it up: who’s with me on this crazy ride? Who else feels that urgent, genetic need to look at a piece of useless junk laying around the house and think: “Yeah, I can definitely build something out of that”? What about you?

Well, I do have a Vintage coat rack / Wooden base. Then what do I need else?

Handwritten list of art supplies and a sketch of a vintage coat rack with notes about placement of wine corks, sketchbooks, magnets, and wooden pegs
My plan

Spiral sketchbook: This is where the magic (and the chaos) starts before I tear it apart.

Structural engineering, but make it wine.

Three wine corks on a textured fabric surface with the word Diamante printed on two of them

3-color sketchbook & black paper: For when regular white paper is just too mainstream and boring.

Fluorescent paints: To make my ideas literally glow in the dark and pop off the page.

Wooden pegs: My tiny wooden assistants doing the heavy lifting of holding the story together.

A clear container filled with small wooden clothespins on a textured fabric surface with two larger clothespins beside it

Linen strings: The tightropes my characters walk on while I figure out the plot twist.

Super magnets: For snaps, rapid changes, and maximum satisfying clicks.

Transparent elements:** Now you see it, now you don’t—pure layout wizardry.

The real joke: Designer storyboard

Picture a professional designer with fancy degrees hanging out in a store, aggressively clicking tiny magnets together to test their power. Right after that, I was stress-testing a roll of linen string to see if it would survive being wrapped around an old coat rack, while the staff slowly backed away.

What about you, fellow artists and illustrators? What do you use to keep your storyboards and ideas organized? Share your favorite studio hacks below!

All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission.

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Exploring Roman Architecture Through Watercolor Art

An Artist's Perspective on Roman Architecture, Artist, Roman Architecture, Uncategorized, Urban sketching, Voyage

Art and Travel. Watercolor journey with the course Roman Architecture by the Yale University.

I am pursuing a new artistic path in watercolor illustration through my studies at online Open Yale course. There so many interesting facts I am learning from the Professor of History of Art and Classics Diana E.E. Kleiner Dunham. Link to the course is at the end of this post.

A vibrant watercolor painting showcases the rooftops and architecture of a city.
It is framed by lush greenery. The painting reflects the themes of Roman architecture explored in the Yale course.
Painting journey of my three passions

Roman Architecture and Art with references and learning from Yale University Roman Architecture, Professor Kleiner about art, architecture.

The course Roman Architecture is my favorite one. I love to travel. I would like to discover the power of architecture to shape culture and society. I plan to do this with my extra research from the lectures. 

The nine-week course explores the great cities and their building

The nine-week course offers an exciting exploration of magnificent cities and their remarkable buildings. It celebrates the engineering wonders of Rome and its empire.It is inspiring visions of their significance in both ancient and contemporary contexts.

Rome, cities of Pompeii, Sicily, France, Germany, Greece, Turkey, Croatia and the rest of Roman Empire.

Experience the full brush of Rome’s beginning as an Iron Age village. Learn how it became a world-class city. Discover its transformation into a gigantic empire surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.

The Romans had a remarkable impact on architecture worldwide, inspiring countless designs even today. Enrolling in the Roman Architecture course excites me as.

It will equip me with the skills to create my very own Roman City Art Project. I’m eager to learn valuable architectural techniques . And that will not only enrich my project but also enhance my life in amazing ways.

Every temple has its story and legend, I love all lectures with interesting facts of the professor Diana E.E. Kleiner. One of the good things about learning is the professor’s enthusiasm and her own photos. Also, I will use my husband’s photos and my own sketches from our multiple vacations in Italy.

Cats sketching as part of my learning journey
A vibrant pastel sketch depicts Italian architecture. It reflects the beauty of Roman structures.
The influence of art was studied in the Yale University course.

I will add some live to my illustrations for architecture. It will be some cats. What do you think about this idea? Are you usually adding some animals or birds for your sketching?

I am reading what I will learn and this is very exciting. The course starts from 8 B.C. architecture and moves from one revolutionary experiment to the next one; and my paintings will follow the consecutive process of the development of Roman architecture that was born out of ancient Greek and Etruscan styles  

I hope that soon I will travel to Rome with all my new knowledge from the Roman Architecture course :)

Watercolor painting of a bridge scene, capturing a vibrant sunset reflection on the water.

I am ready for a new educational adventure in watercolor illustration.

I will pick a photo reference from a lecture for each painting. I am going to share my quick comparison for four picks of art watercolor albums and paints.

  1. Acquarello watercolour album. Fabriano cold pressed
  2. Acquarello watercolour album. Fabriano, grana grossa rouch
  3. Fluid 100, cold press
  4. Van Gogh, National gallery

Watercolour paints:

  1. Van Gogh travel box
  2. Van Gogh tubes
  3. PWC
  4. Cotman
  5. Winsor Newton
  6. Charvin
  7. Box Munovo
  8. Gelly roll Sakura white pen
  9. Watercolour pencils Albert Durer
  10. Watercolour pencils Faber Castell Durer
  11. Watercolour pencils Derwent

I am exciting to start the course and share my thoughts and illustrations for the lectures in my posts.

Below is the link to the Roman Architecture course

https://www.coursera.org/learn/roman-architecture

Bon voyage! Until the next travel:)

The magic of the holidays is in the making! ✨ Join me on this artistic adventure as I explore the captivating world of #TravelVibes #ArtAdventure

All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission.

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Tools used for my painting:

Watercolour used Charvin and Van Gogh brands, Pastel GrayPas Expressionist, Derwent watercolour pencils and Faber Castell artist pens, Paper Strathmore Watercolour and Mixed Media albums, 15×20 cm (6×8 in.)

The visionary path to paintings. Creative Ways to Describe Artwork Colors

Art workshops

For my artist colleagues and students. Workshops. Innovative approach to describe artwork. Trademark:)

How do you describe and prepare paints for your artworks? For example if you need a bright or light yellow color, a brand, a particular paint? I usually do test paints from my selected colors before painting . All artists would agree that watercolors from different brands with the same names for paints give us various color’s views. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish and choose a paint even with the same name

For example, brand PWC watercolor yellow ochre and Windsor yellow ochre paints look differently. You would describe paint of yellow ochre as something between yellow and brown, opaque. Raw sienna is mostly yellowish-brown and transparent.

At the same time, using yellow ochre or raw sienna, they look very alike to a viewer. The viewer does not care about the name of the paint or the brand. They need emotion.

Swatches of yellow ochre watercolor paints from PWC and Windsor, showcasing their different appearances on watercolor paper.
Comparison of PWC and Winsor yellow ochre watercolor paints, showcasing their distinct shades.

Describing a bright yellow color in your artwork as a juicy banana is effective. It gives a clue and brings a memory about a ripe fruit. This description brings you to summer, and you feel energized. So I created my own cool way to describe colors with names from nature and food, berries, veggies and fruits colors TM :)

I pick paint from my Watercolour collection of paints. I choose the name of one of my favorite berries or fruit. This depends on the season and time of year. Some examples of artworks from my recent series of Iris flowers.

… juicy plum, blueberry and peach colors, long stems of mustard colors with background of corn and turmeric colors, little red ladybugs with dripping raindrops are on leaves of color of green apples …

… of juicy banana, strawberry and blueberry, long stems of colors of cappuccino and kiwi with vanilla background  of ripe corn, little red ladybug with dripping raindrops are on milky leaves

A vibrant watercolor painting featuring a bouquet of colorful flowers in shades of pink, yellow, blue, and orange on the left. On the right, a palette showing descriptions of colors with playful names inspired by fruits, including 'juicy strawberry', 'ripe corn', and 'vanilla background'.
Colorful watercolor artwork featuring flowers, inspired by nature and food descriptions.

Are you feeling the taste and smell of juicy bananas?:)

The magic of the holidays is in the making! ✨ Join me on this artistic adventure as I explore the captivating world of #TravelVibes #ArtAdventure

You are welcome to visit my personal website pages. There, you can find out more about the artwork I am offering in oil and watercolor paintings. You can buy canvas prints, framed prints, and more artwork.

All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission.

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Oranges and its trees, Rome, part 1. Urban sketching and Still life. Travel and Art.

ArtTravel

Rome. You know, that place where tourists arrive and immediately lose their minds over the one thing Romans have been casually ignoring for literally centuries: oranges hanging from trees. On actual trees:)

Lovely oranges- juicy

Orange trees minding their own business on a Rome street, casually photobombing motorcycles and architecture like they own the place. Spoiler: they kind of do.

Rome in May. The oranges are thriving. The tourists are not.

If you venture to Rome (and let’s be real, who wouldn’t?), prepare your schnoz for a fresh, jasmine-adjacent aroma that will make you question every candle you’ve ever bought. Visit in May? Congratulations! You’ve hit the citrus lottery—blooming orange trees will be photobombing every selfie you take on Rome’s charming streets.

Still life with oranges. They posed. We did not ask.

The Doria Pamphili Garden in Rome is the perfect place to collapse dramatically between museum tours, all while inhaling the intoxicating fragrance and gawking at the aggressively vibrant oranges hanging overhead. It’s like nature installed a mood enhancer specifically for exhausted art lovers.

Doria Pamphili Garden — where art lovers go to dramatically recover.

According to ancient Greek legend (and what’s more reliable than ancient mythology, am I right?), Gaea straight-up gifterd golden orange orchards to Hera as a wedding present when she married Zeus. Their first night of newlywed bliss? Three hundred years. Talk about going the distance! Now that’s a honeymoon.

Hera’s wedding gift. Three hundred years of honeymoon sold separately.

The couple had access to magical spring water—basically the ancient equivalent of a spa day—which kept Hera perpetually refreshed and virginal (plot twist: marriage!). And to make sure nobody crashed their citrus paradise, they hired the Hesperids and a monstrous dragon as bouncers. Talk about taking ‘No Trespassing’ to mythological extremes.

More oranges. Because apparently one painting wasn’t enough.
Spoiler: also oranges.

Oranges’ recipe for the salad we devoured in Rome like it had personally offended us. Main ingredients? Arugula (the fancy lettuce), feta cheese (the salty stuff), oranges (obviously), and olives (because why not). For dressing: red wine vinegar, honey, and olive oil—basically, liquid gold. The result? A light, refreshingly bright salad so good you’ll forget how much you hate summer heat. You’re welcome.

The salad’s main character. Bow down.

Bon voyage! Until the next adventure! Keep your sense of humor (and your appetite) sharp. Stay healthy, stay weird, and always look up to see what fruit-related adventure the universe has in store.

All paintings and sarcasm belong to the author. No image or witty observation is to be copied without permission (they’re copyrighted treasures, thank you very much).

Doria Pamphili Gallery—it’s on Via del Corso in Rome, if you ever need an excuse to eat more salad surrounded by Renaissance paintings and smug orange trees.

The behind-the-scenes reveal: my artistic arsenal includes watercolor brands Van Gogh and Cotman (because yes, we splash out on the fancy stuff). For sketching, I abuse Strathmore Watercolor albums (14×21 cm / 5.5×8.5 in.) and Acquarello (12.5×18 cm). Studio albums? Canson Mix Media (28×35 cm / 11×14 in.) and Canson Watercolor (25×35 cm / 11×15 in.)—basically enough paper to create my own forest, which ironically I’m using to draw pictures of trees. The irony is exquisite.

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Urban sketching. Calm water and sky above Toronto island’s Billy Bishop airport, with no flights. Spring 2020.

ArtTravel

Behold: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, the adorably tiny airfield tucked on Toronto Island like a boutique coffee shop in a corporate office park. This spring, however, 2020 decided to crash the party—and by crash, I mean everything literally stopped. No boats. No airplanes. No noise. Just the lake doing its best impression of a yoga retreat while the world had a collective panic attack. Spoiler alert: it was eerily peaceful.

It feels so unusual to see this normally busy lake so quiet and empty. As I work on these three paintings – morning, late morning/noon, and afternoon – a few people pause at a little distance, gently saying hello and offering kind words of support to us as artists. Their warmth has touched me, and I know I will carry the memory of this day with me for a long time.

Morning. The lake is barely awake. Same.

A watercolour painting I did at noon by Ontario Lake (which, let’s be honest, was probably the most exciting thing happening in Toronto that day).

Late morning. The light warmed up. So did the lake.

Afternoon vibes: the lake is serving calm waves with a side of tired, melancholic yellow sun—nature’s way of saying, “Yeah, I’m exhausted too. Let’s just rest.” By evening, Ontario Lake had achieved what none of us could: the zen state of not caring about literally anything.

Afternoon. Everything glowing, everything shifting. Nature, clocking in.

Leonardo da Vinci, history’s ultimate Renaissance overachiever, was obsessed with water. He called it “vetturale di natura”—”the vehicle of nature.” Translation: the man understood that water is basically nature’s delivery service, and honestly? He wasn’t wrong. Water shows up, does all the work, and everyone else takes the credit.

Bon voyage! Until our next adventure (hopefully with fewer apocalyptic vibes). Stay healthy and keep painting!

All paintings are mine. Like, I actually made them with my own two hands. No stealing, copycats! Seriously though, I worked hard on these—respect the artist hustle.

My artist toolkit of choice: Van Gogh and Cotman watercolours (for when you want your paintings to have that authentic starry-night-versus-budget-friendly chaos), plus a Canson Mix Media album at 28×35 cm (11×14 in.)—the Goldilocks size of art paper.

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