Yelena Petroukhina
Where I live: I live in downtown Little Rock and I love my neighborhood. There is a park, quiet walkable streets, and -- most importantly -- lots of great friends living nearby. The house is surrounded by huge old trees and several young fruit trees I planted myself.
Occupation: I am an artist and art educator; I teach art at Mann Middle School. Lucky me gets to spend my days with some of the most talented and amazing young people on the planet. However, I make sure to set aside time that is dedicated to my own creative pursuits. I work in several mediums: clay, paint, mixed media and collage, depending on the concept.
My favorite space is: my art studio.
Why? Located on the second floor, it presents a gorgeous view of the neighborhood and is a perfect vantage point from which to look at the clouds and let my mind wander. The view is interrupted only by an old pine tree and runs straight into the dome of the Capitol building. This vista was my inspiration for a recent series of paintings of clouds and rooftops, currently at Boswell Mourot Fine Art. Space in the studio is limited and I must choose wisely; it is tempting to keep collecting interesting, beautiful things thinking I will use them later.
If I could change one thing to improve this space, I would: What I am changing is getting clutter under control. My new motto: Use it or lose it!
-- Ellis Widner
HomeStyle on 10/28/2017