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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, БЕРЕЗЕНЬ 2012 WWW. UNWLA.ORG 11 O O U U R R C C O O V V E E R R A A R R T T I I S S T T Kristine Izak doesn’t just paint — you might say that she choreographs lines, colors, and textures to create a cohesive “dance” on canvas. Besides being a talented artist, she is a full - time dance instructor and choreographer, and her art is a reflection of her life’s passion. Born of Ukrainian parents in the su b- urbs of Philadelphia, she was first influ enced by the work of her grandmother, Maria Chyzowych Chomyn. “Surrounding me as a child were beautiful ceramics, pysanky , paintings, woodcarvings, and embroidered and woven fabrics,” she recollects, “and I was encouraged to draw and paint the traditional Ukrainian patterns and symbols. I was fortunate to be nurtured in a home where the arts were given much respect and importance.” Kristine spent many hours alongside her mother, Christine Chomyn Izak, as she organized and exhibited artifacts and paintings d uring her tenure as Curator for the Ukrainian Heritage Center at Manor Jr. College. “I learned to appreciate the skill and inspiration required to create things of such beauty. I was also fortunate to meet many Ukrainian artists who exhibited at the colleg e gallery and to be with them when they hung their shows and discussed their work.” Sophia Lada was one of those artists, and her work made a strong impression on Kristine's mind. Kristine never remembers being without a sketch pad and her ballet slippers . Dance and art have been ever - present in her life and are often intertwined — on one day she will be painting an abstract of a dancer blooming from the center of a rose, and on another, choreographing a dance influenced by the painting of George Seurat and “ pointillism. ” After receiving her BA in Dance from DeSales University, Kristine went on to Bucks County Community College for a degree in Graphic Design and Illustration. She began Dancing Line Graphics and started work on brochures, newsletters, and t - s hirts. In 1999, her gilded “Tree of Life” design was placed on the deep red cover of the UNWLA Convention book. Kristine’s painting took a back seat after college, as she tried to create a viable income through her performing, dance instruction, and compu ter graphics work. She was a member of both the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Philadelphia and the Syzokryli Ensemble of New York while teaching ba l- let, jazz, modern, and lyrical dance in the suburbs of Philadelphia. It wasn’t until many years later , when she was asked to paint a nursery mural for her niece, that she took out her brushes once again. Photos from that room led to more mural work, and Dancing Line Murals was created. Since then, she has painted in over a hundred homes, hospitals, and bu sinesses, and she considers her mural work as the catalyst for her canvas painting. Kristine explains, “It still seems quite strange to me that when placed in front of a 65 - foot long wall, I jump to the task, but give me a small canvas on an easel, and I p onder and hesitate. I have so many sketches waiting to come to life on canvas. I feel as if I’m at the beginning of this phase of my work, and I’m very excited.” Most of her paintings are inspired by the natural world and the movement of air and water. “I read once and so believe that, as human beings, it is our greatest fortune to bear witness to and marvel at the beauty and complexity of God’s creation.” This isn’t the first time Kristine’s work has been featured in Our Life . Her illustrations have broug ht to life the children’s pages in many issues. She prefers working in acrylic but is experimenting now with collage and mixed media applications to her canvases. Kristine is also the Artistic Director of the Ukrainian Dance Camps at Soyuzivka in Kerhonks on, NY. After assisting Roma Pryma Bohachevsky for many years, she is honored to continue the legacy that Pani Roma nurtured during her life. Each year, she writes an original fairy tale on Ukrainian themes for the summer program, and the young dancers at Dance Camp bring it to life. Her career choice allows her to use her creative ‘genes’ to their fullest capacity — from scenery and costume design, program covers and t - shirts, to inspiring dancers and choreographing, her hands and her feet are always moving. You can visit Kristine’s mural gallery and see more of her paintings at DancingLineMurals.com Attention Artists Artists interested in having their work featured on the cover of future issues of Our Life are invited to forward samples of their work to artwork cover coordinator Ulana Zinych for consideration. To submit artwork or to request additional information, please contact Ms. Zinych by email at uzinych@comcast.net . Please provide a telephone number with your submission(s) or queries.
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