This month, the URI Providence Gallery features an exhibit showcasing gorgeous artwork from more than 20 children’s book illustrators. Meet one of those talented artists, Natalia Bystrianyk.
Q: I understand that Ember’s Magical Journey, your first children’s book, will be out this fall. How did the idea of doing a children’s book come about?
A: I have always been a big fan of children’s book art and for many years have wanted to try my hand at illustrating my own. It is only after gaining the courage to actually call myself an artist, as well as working as one for the past couple of years, that I had the courage to do so.
Trina Schart Hyman is my favorite illustrator. Her mix of realism and fantasy is absolutely captivating. Even though my two daughters are now in their twenties, I still collect her books.
Q: Can you tell us a bit about the book? Did you write the text as well as do the illustrations?
A: The book is about the “soul” of a young girl prior to being conceived. Ember is floating in the heavens with her grandfather and witnesses her larger life events before they occur. The book is meant to reinforce ideas of independence, trust, listening to your inner guidance, and lots of gratitude. It is basically a metaphor for understanding our own existence. It sounds very existential but it’s very whimsical. I did not write the text. The author, Blake Romney, is a mindfulness coach for children and lives in California.
Q: You call yourself an “intuitive” artist. Can you elaborate?
A: I call myself an intuitive painter because the way I start a painting is by playing with color, shapes, and media, letting things flow. I basically just have fun, like a child finger painting (I often use my fingers as well). I work this way in many layers until an idea occurs to me or I “see” something in the painting that wants to emerge. Then I either work from my imagination or use reference photos as guides to achieve my desired result. I often use my two daughters’ likenesses in my work. The idea is to stay loose and free and let the painting happen.
Q: And you have produced an “intuitive art coloring book.” Tell us more!
A: My new coloring book was inspired by my 91-year-old mother. She recently started a coloring hobby and I was struggling to find her unique and interesting coloring pages. One day I realized I could use some of my work. I am not sure why it didn’t occur to me before!! So I drew line art of many of my popular paintings and created my first coloring book. I also sprinkled in some quotes to help motivate and inspire. The idea of the book is not to “color in the lines.” It is to use your intuition and have a blast. I took one of my own coloring pages and created an entirely new work of art, gluing tissue paper and pretty napkins on it and using paint and paint pens rather than the traditional crayons and colored pencils. The book is available on Amazon.