Harvard school employee Oksana Zotkina Peura has been named the artist of the month for January at the Parish Center for the Arts in Westford.
The show, “Animals, landscapes, and more…,” featuring oil and acrylic paintings, runs from Jan. 1 through Jan. 29. Gallery hours are Sundays, noon to 2 p.m., and by appointment. There will be an opening reception on Saturday, Jan. 7, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Peura wrote: “I was born and raised in the city of Odessa, Ukraine. From a very early age my two greatest interests were animals and art. By the age of 14 I completed my basic art education in traditional fine arts from a four-year study program at the Youth School of Fine Arts run by Odessa Grekov Art College. I continued to develop my painting skills on my own while pursuing other interests in my studies and jobs related to animals. I later began promoting myself as an artist and paint for sale and commissions.
“Since moving to the United States I have added information technology to my list of interests and I’m currently working for the IT department in the Harvard Public Schools. I continue to paint and participate in local art events in my free time.
My artwork reflects my fascination with the animal world and nature in general. I consider myself very fortunate to have been living in New England for the past 15 years, where we are surrounded by beautiful landscapes and open skies that are asking to be painted on canvas. This is my first solo exhibition where you can see my art work done recently and going back 10-plus years.”
