Elena Zelenina
New York, NY
An ardent arts advocate, a world-class coach, and a teacher with 30 years of experience, who exhibited and lectured internationally.
MessageI received an award from the National Association of Women Artists for this piece which was in the show "Layered" in September 2021. I started this piece in 2007 and felt it was complete in 2021. 14 years. It was not the complexity of the painting that kept me going. It was coming to terms with who I was and am now. I loved making stories, loved visualizing things that never happened, and loved creating my life through these visualizations. "I was 9. I was walking through the streets of Moscow, thinking how awesome it would be if I lived in another place, something like Canada, and I was speaking English fluently, and I had a huge kitchen with yellow bananas all year round. All year round, I would have them, I thought. And I also would bring presents home. Lots of presents for my friends. I visualize that too. At that moment, I forget where I am because I am, in fact, in that gorgeous, huge kitchen with yellow bananas." Many times, I heard that my intense imagination is "foolish" and I need to be more down to earth, more serious, more practical. I felt ashamed of who I was many times. I was often working hard trying to hide this side of me that wanted to dream and make things up. I got the degrees, I learned to love logic and step-by-step instructions. BUT !!! I do live in the US now, which is not Canada but close enough. I do speak English fluently, and yellow bananas? Oh, they are a part of my life all year round. I am who I am now without apologizing for being "foolish." I am what I am, and I love that. Am I too much? I love being too much. What about you?
- Collections: Mixed Media
Other Work From Elena Zelenina
Elena Zelenina is an author of "Art Completes. Exercises to Develop Your Individual Vision, Self-Expression & Artistic Skill" Purchase the book here https://www.amazon.com/Art-Completes-Exercises-Individual-Self-Expression/dp/1733538151/
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