“Fireflight” oil on canvas, 11x14 inches, 2023 Co-creation and collaboration Kelsey Birsa and Tatyana Ostapenko I am excited to share that my latest painting series, "Me, Myself and AI" will be exhibited at Cambium Gallery in Astoria, Oregon from April 8th through May 8th. This two-artist exhibition will feature contemporary figurative oil paintings by me and Kelsey Birsa. The gallery's theme for the year is "co-creation," and they are interested in all manner of cooperative creative processes for generating artwork and artists who work in collaborative ways. We were thrilled to receive an ..read more

“This is a reflective, restorative and important program that draws expansive connections around ideas of shelter, belonging, and freedom, all offered through Lukas’ riveting performance ” — The Islands’ Sounder February 8, 2023; Portland, OR: Powell Flutes Artist and directorial powerhouse Amelia Lukas steps into the spotlight withNatural Homeland: Honoring Ukraine, a multimedia, tour de force program of music that deepens emotional awareness around the meaning of home in light of current events. Presented by the historic Alberta Rose Theatre in partnership with Immigrant and Refugee Commun ..read more

Sunflowers Mural in Taylor Electric Building Garage, SE Clay and SE 2nd Ave, Portland, Oregon I am honored to have this wonderful opportunity to create a mural that celebrates and brings awareness to the Ukrainian culture and community in Portland. This mural will not only serve as a visual representation of my native culture, but also will showcase the strength, resilience, and joy that characterize my people.   The mural is inspired by folk song performance by local Ukrainian community members I saw last winter. In my mural I place the singers dressed in traditional folk costumes ..read more

Sunflowers Mural in Taylor Electric Building Garage, SE Clay and SE 2nd Ave, Portland, Oregon I am honored to have this wonderful opportunity to create a mural that celebrates and brings awareness to the Ukrainian culture and community in Portland. This mural will not only serve as a visual representation of my native culture, but also will showcase the strength, resilience, and joy that characterize my people.   The mural is inspired by folk song performance by local Ukrainian community members I saw last winter. In my mural I place the singers dressed in traditional folk costumes ..read more

  Image credit: Erin Chipps Photography Do you follow artists on social media, quietly double tap the images, read captions and maybe occasionally leave a comment with a few praise words and emojis? Are you too shy to ask questions, offer your opinion or share how the artist’s works makes you feel just because you don’t think yourself qualified to express opinions about such lofty matters as art? Guess what? The artists on the other end of this shy dance are shy and insecure as well! Hell, we are shyer and more insecure than most. The “art world” is designed to feel exclusive and unr ..read more

Say hi to the babushkas, they are finished and here to stay on this Portland wall for the next three years! Many many thanks to everyone who's supported this project! It's been an amazing experience. In a way I can't believe I've never worked this large before. It feels so normal and natural now. And all I can think of is where to find another wall to paint ? I had to take a break for a week because of the rain. A little drizzle isn't a problem for painting a mural, but the downpours we've been having are problematic for applying water soluable paint to an outside wall. Thoughts and reflect ..read more

Mothers Day commissions were a delight to paint I am so fortunate, my clients have seriously amazing family photos. I mean, take a look for yourselves! This Mother’s Day I offered a limited amount of commission slots to create special gifts for moms. I love working with archives, and I prefer casual, personal archives that consist of less than perfect photographs. When I say less than perfect, I mean not perfect in that classical photography, proper composition and lighting, way. But these are very much a perfection of true and fleeting moments captured: sun soaked summer vacations, goofy g ..read more

Portland Updated: Feb. 24, 2022, 6:15 p.m. | Published: Feb. 24, 2022, 2:10 p.m. By Lizzy Acker | The Oregonian/OregonLive As Russia invaded Ukraine Wednesday, members of the Ukrainian diaspora in Portland watched with fear and sadness. At least 200 Ukrainians and their supporters showed up Thursday afternoon in downtown Portland to protest the Russian invasion. The group chanted in Ukrainian and sang the national anthem. Many cars honked in support. At one point, the crowd grew somber when a speaker said Kyiv was being bombed. More than 20,000 Oregonians and nearly 60,000 Washingtonians ..read more

by Tyler Brumfield The Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art is proud to present LARGER THAN ME, and exhibit by Tatyana Ostapenko from Feb. 7 to March 4. Ostapenko is a contemporary painter and a muralist whose art practice is deeply influenced by her experience as an immigrant, as well as by her formative years in the economically and socially unstable environment of post-Soviet Ukraine. Opening Reception:  There will be a virtual artist talk on  3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 9,  accessible via Zoom: https://pacificu.zoom.us/j/99550768151 The exhibit ..read more

  Blue Chair 14x11 inches oil on canvas 2018 SOLD it’s always a curious thing to watch paintings find a new home. Sometimes there are pieces that sit in my studio for years without catching anyone’s eye, and others sell while still wet on the easel. This April has been incredibly busy for me. I’ve talked in my previous blog post about the pace picking up in terms of interactions, new connections and exciting opportunities. (I am not ready to spill the beans about those yet. I’ll just say that there is a strong possibility that something that I’ve been wanting to do for years might ju ..read more