Paintings by Tatiana

For the past three months Tatiana Kolesnikova has been the art teacher for our daughter Pia, who is 11 years old.

We naturally expected Pia to develop her drawing ability, but we never expected such rapid improvement in such a short period of time!

Tatiana is introducing Pia to different new techniques as well as subjects, and is motivating and guiding her in a very professional manner.

After every lesson we get back a happy child with a new, impressive piece of art; and even more importantly, with more confidence in her own abilities.

This, along with Pia’s growing interest in all aspects of art, makes her art lessons priceless!

Wiebke Elbe

Review I took oil pastel and watercolor painting classes with Tatiana. Before starting any of the classes Tatiana analyzed my artistic level, in order to reinforce my skills and teach me new techniques and abilities where I lack the knowledge or talent. She also took in account the points I wanted to improve. In my case I wanted to be more comfortable with colors. Not only did I manage this, but I also managed to bring life to the mixtures of colors in my paintings.

All the classes started on time. The teacher has vast supply of materials for making the class more informative. She has a large collection of art books, plenty of materials for creating different still life scenes, lots of interesting photos to choose from, and different art materials. She can teach drawing and painting with any material the student picks. Tatiana is patient and comprehensive. She can apply different teaching approaches until finding which one is most effective for the student. She also takes into consideration the pace of a student. Because I took classes that were three hours long, she was very kind in offering me snacks and drinks.

During the classes I could tell Tatiana is very professional and has a lot of experience in teaching. She has an incredible artistic talent, leaving one astonished during her demonstrations.

The classes are very affordable. The one-on-one teaching method is very rewarding.

The classes are so much fun that time feels that went by in a blink of an eye.

Nichole Hirtz
Kissimmee, FL

Testimonial from Kelly C., Austin's Mom:

I am amazed at the progress my son has made since beginning his lessons with Tatiana. In the first few lessons she was able to assess his strengths, as well as his weaknesses, and then tailor the instruction to help him improve in both. She gives him his "space" to work, allowing his own style to develop, while applying the principles she has given him... Highly recommend!

Testimonial letter from Vicky Chambers:

Tatiana has been my painting instructor for the past two years. Art has always been something I greatly value but talent is something I seriously believed I did not have. Tatiana not only became my teacher and mentor but she was, and still is, someone who encourages me constantly. Some of the paintings I tackled were way beyond my skill level but Tatiana patiently helped me work through each piece.

I have learned so much through her guidance. As a teacher myself, I appreciate Tatiana's knowledge of her subject, her methodical approach, and her honest appraisal of my efforts. She has helped me understand that talent is only a small part of the equation. Anyone can paint if they are determined, practice and most importantly, enjoy the process.

Thank you, Tatiana!

Yes, my daughter Bruna is definitely making very good progress. We are very happy that we found you, and that you are helping her become better on her drawings/paintings.
That's what she likes to do, and the least we can do as parents is provide them the opportunities to engage in something that they really enjoy, and keep them away from all the craziness out there.

I truly believe art (painting, drawing, music, etc) is a great way to keep kids focused and away from trouble, and will get even more important as they go thru their teenage years.

We are very glad to have you working with Bruna.. and she really enjoys working with you, too!

Orlando Weidgenant

I would highly recommend Tatiana. Her vast art knowledge and education background enables her to be a great teacher. She explained and taught that an artist should paint from feeling and emotion, not just copy a photograph. She taught me the importance of drawing and sketching as often as I can to improve my painting skills. She challenged and encouraged me to paint from life. I learned other mediums such as oil pastels, pencil drawings. I also learned composition skills and color theory. She is able to see what areas I need help with, and is able to teach and challenge me accordingly.

She is willing to answer questions and provide critiquing outside of class time which has been a big help for me. She is passionate about fine art and is liberal in sharing art history and various artist work that is applicable to what I am currently working on.

I know that I have improved as an artist since taking classes with Tatiana.

Curt Reffner