Yelena Bryksenkova never anticipated becoming a graphic design illustrator. But she found her passion after completing a vocational art program in her final years of high school.
The Montreal-based freelance illustrator will lecture in the Shemin Auditorium on Thursday at 6:30p.m.as part of Syracuse University’s Visiting Artist Lecture Series. During her lecture, Bryksenkova will share her experiences as a freelancer in the commercial art industry. She hopes to advise SU students about “the real world” of art as a profession.
After completing a vocational art program in high school, Bryksenkovaapplied to Maryland Institute College of Art in hopes of becoming a graphic designer. Since then, she has worked with several companies including Anthropologie, ESPN and The New York Times.
Bryksenkovasaid that after declaring an illustration major at MICA, she felt that she found a field that best suited her interests. She praised the institution’s curriculum because they gave her valuable knowledge of both the principles and business of illustration.
“Just being able to draw is definitely not enough. You need to have some entrepreneurial skills,” Bryksenkova said.
Bryksenkova uses an acryla gouache paint for many of her works, according to her website.This type of paint is an opaque, matte acrylic paint that allows for quick-drying and cannot be reactivated once it has dried. Bryksenkova said she takes pride in being adept at both digital and handmade art.
With both skills, she typically starts with a painting or drawing and will then finish it digitally.
“I’m so grateful that I know how to do things by hand,” Bryksenkova said. “Like, people really appreciate it. There’s an old-world quality to it, and it’s a bit more time-consuming at times especially when a job has a quick turnaround, but it’s very meditative to work by hand.”
While Bryksenkova’s work mostly depicts everyday life, she said that she is more concerned in conveying a mood to listeners than being a mirror to the real-life appearance of the subjects. To achieve this, Bryksenkova added that she adjusts the color palette of a given work to “fit the illustration better.”
Bryksenkova said her artistic inspiration stems from the beauty that life offers her, whether that be through household items, local scenery or even her dog. Courtesy of Boris Morin-Defoy
As for her inspiration, she said this stems from the beauty that life offers her, whether that be through household items, local scenery or even her dog.
“Representing beautiful objects through my work helps me internalize them a little bit,” she said. “When something’s really beautiful, I kind of have a hard time dealing with it … I need to possess it somehow, and drawing it kind of relieves that feeling. It feels like possession, like somehow it’s part of me now.”
Her artwork is also a visual timeline of her migrations from her country of origin, Russia, to several American cities. When she lived in Los Angeles, she incorporated many sun-bleached, terracotta colors into her work. Now, having relocated to Montreal, the style of apartments and life in Montreal complement her artistic vision, she said.
One of her best friends and fellow illustrator, Becca Stadtlander, whom she met in a sculpture class in MICA, was last month’s guest lecturer for the series. The two did not know that they would be lecturing on the same campus a month apart from each other.
When Ginnie Hsu, an assistant professor in the illustration department, found out the two knew each other,Hsu said she would have had the two speak together.
During her brief visit to SU, Stadtlander had the opportunity to see students’ work. She said she was impressed with the quality of the work of the students in SU’s illustration department, and the fact that they knew what illustration career paths they wanted to pursue.
Stadtlander toldBryksenkova of the caliber of the art projects at SU and said to keep in mind that the students are very receptive, very attentive and have a lot of questions.
Hsu said Bryksenkova was invited to give the lecture because she has a decade of experience in the industry, where she has worked both as a freelancer and with an agent.
Additionally, Hsu wanted SU art students to have an opportunity to network with illustrators that are in the industry right now, like Stadtlander and Bryksenkova.
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
