“The Beauty of Colors”

Paintings by Margarita Marochkina

I was a dreamer who could spend hours watching nature, its beauty, sunsets and sunrises, streams, waterfalls, rivers, oceans, seas, forests, trees and grass, meadows, steppes, skies, shooting stars, moving clouds, birds, flowers, dragonflies and butterflies. I dreamed of drawing everything I saw and loved.

But I was born among practical people, hardworking and well-educated people.  They firmly believed that art was not a profession but a hobby. Unless you are Leonardo da Vinci, forget about becoming an artist.

At 17 I went to university to study chemistry. And I liked it. I got a PhD in biology-pharmacology, became a scientist and was very happy with my choice.

But I kept dreaming. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw an image of myself with an artist’s brush and a canvas, painting something. I believed that this was a normal life; to dream about something that will never happen.

It was like that until I moved to the United States. I was a religious refugee from the former Soviet Union. I came to a country I knew nothing about. Everything was different: the food, people, language, customs, cultural expectations, values, traditions, the streets, houses..I felt nostalgic. I was looking for a way to find peace in my soul and mind, and I found it.

Nature, the Pacific Northwest. I came to the land of Honey and Milk. And I met a wonderful teacher who told me it is never too late to reach for your dream, to move towards it.

To my surprise, I found out that it was easier than I thought. I took a few art classes at Clark College and received an art scholarship. I took classes on Byzantine-Russian iconography, and my work was the best in the class, the teacher told me.

I kept delving into the history of art, my soul and heart. My scientific knowledge helped me to study the deep roots of art and to preserve the originality of my style. Instead of learning different techniques from different schools and teachers, I followed my own heart and made my deam come true.

Today, I bring my art to my viewers; I want to share with you all my love and admiration for the beauty of this World. I believe that observing the beauty of the World and its Creator makes us all better and kinder.