Lake Cuyamaca Golden Hour by Vira Ustianska

Description

Vira Ustianska is a Ukrainian artist and art teacher. She was born in Zaporizhzhia in 1988. From 1996 to 2000, she studied fine arts at the children’s studio of the Shevchenko district. From 2000 to 2004, she attended the Zaporizhzhia Children’s Art School. From 2006 to 2009, she studied at Zaporizhzhia Art College, majoring in Design. She began participating in exhibition activities and plein air events in 2008.

She received her higher art education at the Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Arts, where she studied easel painting in the portrait workshop under the guidance of Prof. Chaus V.N. and Prof. Ganotsky V.L. (2009–2015).

Vira is an active member of several professional art organizations, including the National Union of Artists of Ukraine (since 2013), the San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild (where she serves as a board member), the American Impressionist Society, the California Art Club, Oil Painters of America, the East County Art Association, and the Kensington-Talmadge Business Association.

Vira has received over 17 awards and recognitions in the United States and internationally. Among them are First Place in the Plein Air Contest and multiple First Place awards at the San Diego County Fair (including Pet Portrait and Oil Representational categories), Second Place at the Viva Art Juried Exhibition and the Big Bear Plein Air Festival, Third Place at the Olaf Wieghorst Museum’s Mary Jane Parkinson Legacy Exhibition, as well as the Award of Excellence at the 26th Annual National Juried Exhibition of the American Impressionist Society. Her work has also been recognized with multiple Honorable Mentions and Top Finalist placements at PleinAir Salon competitions, along with distinctions from the Oceanside Museum Plein Air Festival and other juried exhibitions.

Visit Vira’s Website