Hi, I’m Anastasia Knish from Glenview, IL. Ever since I was a little girl, I loved art and always seemed to have a creative project going on. When I was about 7 years old, my dad introduced me to watercolors by copying a watercolor landscape in a reading book. We worked side by side and when we were done, we had two copies: his - a smaller but a perfect copy of the image from the book, and mine - a larger, watercolor wash of the same scene, looking quite awesome for a tiny beginner. Both of those paintings are proudly displayed, side by side, in my home studio.
Growing up I drew inspiration from art books and works of Michelangelo, Viktor Vasnetsov, Ilya Repin and Edward Hopper. My dream was to pursue art in school, but life had other plans. Although I do not have a formal education in art, I am always learning and looking to improve my skills and technique with the help of workshops, art classes/studio time, myriads of art books and YouTube. To me, to be an artist means to always be "work in progress".
For almost two decades I’ve primarily painted watercolor portraits of homes and have an extensive catalog of commissioned work. In the early 2020, the beginning of COVID pandemic, I had an amazing opportunity to apprentice for an accomplished local artist who encouraged me to delve into myself and start painting what I enjoy. Finally, in 2022, I have decided to focus on creating art for art’s sake, art that makes me happy. I’ve joined a local art league and started creating pieces in oil and acrylic that move me. My favorite subject is landscape, especially farmland. Nature being the main focus, with its ever-changing mood, is humbling and the simplicity of farm life feels very nostalgic. That being said, I don’t shy away from exploring other subjects.
I hope that my art will bring you as much joy as the process of creating it brings to me.
Some of my work can be seen on display (also for sale) at various group shows at the North Shore Art League in Winnetka, IL.
Current Shows:
Past Shows:
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"4th Annual Water!" Show - February 13 - April 16, 2024
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"17th Annual Inchworks" Show - November 14, 2023 - February 13, 2024
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The 99th Annual Members’ Art Show – October 1 – October 23, 2023
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“Go Big” – May 30 – July 10, 2023
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“2nd Annual Inspired By...Show” – April 18 – May 29, 2023
Thank you for visiting my gallery!