NATALIJA STANAITYTE-RUSSO (b. 1975, Lithuania)

My story begins as a barefooted child chasing after butterflies in the green,  picturesque city of Marijampole, Lithuania, later embarking on a journey which brought me across the Atlantic Ocean. It was this journey which led me to remember who I was and to rediscover my passion for art. I was artistically inclined at a very young age. Since I was a little girl I have liked to paint and draw the world that surrounded me.
At age fourteen I enrolled in art classes at the Marijampole Art School where I was a student for four years. There I studied art history, composition, drawing, pottery and painting. Once I finished high school I found myself in an environment that was not very supportive of the arts and lacked the materials and resources to further explore my love for painting. Therefore, I pursued a career in hospitality management. It was this career choice that brought me to the great city of Chicago, Illinois where I still reside.
It has been a long personal journey which has brought me back to where my passions truly lie, and it took me crossing the Atlantic Ocean to rediscover them and my love for the arts. In the fall of 2003 I made the decision to go back to what I loved to do; in the process I rediscovered the person I had forgotten I was. That year I signed up for painting classes in August House Gallery in Chicago. My teacher was Marya Veeck, her biggest lesson was not to be afraid to use more vibrant colors in my painting.
In the summer of 2007 I took painting classes in Evanston Arts Center from Janis Pozzi-Johnson. She encouraged me to paint every day and taught me to use brushstrokes more freely and to work with different color palates. In the fall of that year I took Art History classes in Oakton Community College which gave me a deeper understanding and profound admiration for the great artists of our time. Currently I paint oil on canvas, and my favorite subjects are landscapes, animals, and flowers. I see the world full of colorful beauty and get inspired every day. I wish there were more hours in a day to put all my visions on canvas.
In retrospect, as a little girl I walked around barefooted because I felt free to be me and explore. That is the present season of my life; I am evolving as a person and as an artist, and want to explore my gift of painting. It gives me great pleasure to invite you to visit my website for new creations.

EXHIBITIONS :
Annual Students show, August House gallery, Chicago, October 2005
Annual Students show, August House gallery, Chicago, August 2006
Lithuanian artists show, Lithuanian Youth Cultural Center,Chicago, February 2008