Today we’d like to introduce you to Kateryna Metelytsia.
Hi, Kateryna; thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Kateryna Metelytsia; I’m a Ukrainian artist and owner of Snowstorm Art Studio in Texas, USA. I opened the Art Studio due to popular demands in 2019, two years after my husband and I moved from Ukraine to Austin, Texas, US. I decided to share my experience with art lovers, and I have a lot to share. I have been learning to draw since I was 4 when my parents took me to an art studio near home. After, I studied basic skills and graduated from a 4 years art school for children. Then, I successfully finished two art institutes, receiving two bachelor’s degrees in art and one master’s degree in arts. Next, I worked as an art director and artist-designer in publishing production for over 10 years, had an unforgettable experience, and acquired a love for good quality books. After that, I worked as a video game artist, but I continued to draw paintings in oil, participate in exhibitions, and work with children. Even though the Snowstorm Art Studio is already 3 years old, this is still a young company. There is still room to grow and develop.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
This is not the first art studio that I have organized. I already had a similar successful project in Ukraine, so everything was clear and familiar. I went through many difficulties in Ukraine back then. I just took out all my methodological developed materials and ideas in the United States. But it wasn’t easy to adapt them and all my experience to the local customs and needs of people, their tastes, and local habits. Even not to adapt but to understand them in the first place and combine them with my materials. So, even though a lot was familiar and clear, I had to study and discover a lot of new things, such as working with different video cams, recording best-quality video, editing and publishing it, making streams of art classes with high-quality video, so now more students can use my techniques, I learned how to keep financial records and created an interactive studio website. Everything was challenging, but I did what had to be done.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
“Snowstorm Art Studio is a woman-owned company specializing in creating oil paintings and conducting art classes for children and adults. It’s a space with opportunities for art lovers to create and learn how to draw at art classes by a professional practicing artist with 20+ years of experience. My studio, of course, is all about art. I like to paint portraits of people and animals, landscapes, interior paintings, and decorative plots. I love experiments, new materials, meeting new people, and working in cooperation. I like bringing ideas to life. In my studio, drawing classes are not just a step-by-step tutorial. Each art session is a combination of theoretical and practical parts. I use presentations with images as a means of example, as well as short lectures and a bit of historical background if needed. Students draw with oil paints, acrylics, and pencils. I give children practical exercises to gain understanding and new skills, empowering them with tools and techniques. For these exercises, I alternate with a project that requires applying strategies and new knowledge to their work, allowing them to practice what they have learned. I created a curriculum based on my experience, taking into account all the stages of skill development I have gone through. However, I adjust the tasks according to the cast student’s interests and strengths. We meet every week to practice, discuss, and explore personal artistic ideas. Adults usually come to art classes as a form of art therapy. In my studio, under my guidance, you can bring to life your own story or plot, a copy of your favorite painting, draw a painting from your photo, and learn a couple of tricks that will help you to draw at home on your own and make your painting more professional. Since I have a lot of experience in printing design and the computer game industry as an artist, sometimes people ask me to help them understand Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator programs. You are always welcome! I will show you many tricks. In my studio at art classes, I seek to develop compassion, understanding, and knowledge about different styles and techniques. It develops a deeper connection to your imagination and thus encourages further expansion of artistic appreciation, interests, and pursuits that may even change your attitude to life and values.
How do you think about luck?
Oh, God! I’m always so glad to be lucky in any way. But more often, my success is given to me through a lot of work, experiments, and mistakes. I am often asked what my most successful project is. I don’t have any such project. Successful and unsuccessful are essential and gave me the experience that made me who I am. I was lucky to meet people along the way who gave me ground under my feet in the darkest moments of uncertainty, and many things became possible. My husband is very supportive and inspiring in the affairs of the studio, but it wasn’t always like that. This made me very sad. I feel fortunate and happy that my husband accepted my idea. Anyway, failures allow me to explore myself even more deeply. Success lets me know that I am moving in the right direction. I was lucky to reach my potential and self-realization in my favorite business. I don’t know what I would do in life if not for drawing. There are many projects ahead, many exciting things, and challenges.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.catherinesnowstorm-studio.art
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/snowstormartstudio
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SnowstormArtStudio
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@snowstormartstudio6805
