about me
I was born and raised in Kaliningrad, USSR (now Russia), in a beautiful city on the Baltic Sea, the easternmost territory of Russia, nestled between the Baltic Sea, Poland, and Lithuania. My childhood was steeped in traditional Soviet values, but everything changed when I was 19 and studying at the university.
The fall of the USSR brought economic turbulence across Russia, and many people were displaced. Homeless children became a common sight on the streets of Kaliningrad. My desire to help the children in my community led me to a trailblazing career of uniting American families with Russian orphans. For 20 years, I was fortunate to be part of the blessing of adoption, helping to unite hundreds of Russian children with their new American families.
I cherish my scrapbook filled with thank-you cards, letters, and photos from happy families, all of which serve to remind me of my first passion, my first mission. Unfortunately, my passion, my work came to an abrupt halt in 2014 when geopolitical tensions caused all Russian adoptions into America to stop. When one door closes, another opens.
I’ve traveled the globe over the years, seeking new experiences and spiritual growth. In India, I explored the world from inside an ashram retreat in the Himalayas, and I embarked on a spiritual journey through the jungles of Ecuador and Peru. In 2012, I challenged myself by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (19,341 feet) as part of a group filming a movie titled *I Want to Walk Kilimanjaro.* The film tells the story of two disabled young men from an orphanage who, on prosthetic legs, climbed the mountain to raise money for disabled orphans in Russia.
I have supported the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center (HCWC) for many years and enjoy donating my art for an annual auction that brings in thousands of dollars to help victims of domestic abuse.
Today my heart is rooted in San Marcos, Texas, where I have a beautiful art studio where I work daily. My artistic journey began when I attended the Milan Art Institute and have also self-studied artistic techniques from artists around the world, blending my experiences and learnings into my own style and methods.
As my skills and knowledge expanded, so did the scope of my work, far beyond my early Nuno felting. Now, I use mixed media to blend oils, gemstones, and crystals into message-rich, themed collages that convey the inspirations I find on my daily walks along the trails of Spring Lake Preserve, where I meditate daily, or during my travels to spiritual and sacred places around the world.