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Pastels a rough start for Uzbekistan artist

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By ESTHER HAMMER

Tribune correspondent

Published: November 11, 2009

TAMPA - The Kotler Art Gallery of the John F. Germany Library presents a solo exhibit of works by South Tampa artist Tatyana Hankinson through November.

Comprised of realistic paintings in a variety of media - watercolor, oils, acrylics, pastels, photographs and collage - the exhibit is a banquet of color, dimension and texture.
Hankinson says the decision of medium depends on the time of year, the subject she is painting and her mood. But her favorite seems to be pastels. She earned a diploma in pastels from the Kubyshev Art School in Uzbekistan, where she grew up, and many of her works in oil and watercolor have that soft quality that pastels impart.

Her pastels are done on sandpaper, a surface familiar to her.

"I worked on sandpaper all the time before I came here because we didn't have pastel paper" in Uzbekistan, she said. "It was very rough, and my fingers were often bleeding."

In the seven years she has been in the United States - all of them in Tampa - Hankinson has been a prolific and active member of the local art scene, teaching classes and exhibiting across town. She is first vice president of the Tampa Realistic Artists.

In her most recent paintings, she is moving in new directions.

An experimental piece in the exhibit, the first in a series called "The Wall," combines visual art with music. It's a paint and collage diptych with a small button that, when pushed, plays a Russian marching song. The effect is striking.

"It's not a happy time," Hankinson said. "War is going on, and war is always dirty. There may be bullets flying around."

Next in the series is a happy painting, she says, including the same wall and windows, but with a different mood.

The public is invited to meet the artist and see her works at a free reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the gallery of the library, 900 N. Ashley Drive, in downtown Tampa.

Visit www.igumnova- art.com to learn more about Hankinson and see her works.

Art center marks longevity and art

The Old Hyde Park Art Center will host a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday for an oil and acrylic exhibition. Meet some of the award-winning artists in the show and see their works.

"And help us celebrate 40 years of operating as an art center in that little building," said Kathy Durdin, president of Tampa Realistic Artists. "Some people who have been here forever may remember it as the Hyde Park branch of the Hillsborough Public Library."

It has been a good year for anniversaries, she added - "The Brandon League of Fine Arts had their 50{+t}{+h} this year."

Prize winners were: first place, Pam Rubenstein; second, Michael Hanlon; third, Gunni Price. Honorable mentions went to Sonia Astifidis, Tatyana Hankinson and Antonio Treverton.

The center is at 705 W. Swann Ave. in Hyde Park. Call Durdin at (813) 229-5800 with questions.

Art Under Trees looking for artists

The Life Enrichment Center is inviting all artists and craftspeople to participate in its third annual Art Under the Trees event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 5.

All forms of art and craft are welcome. The entrance fee is $35.

Call the center at (813) 932-0241 to reserve a space.

Correspondent Esther Hammer can be reached at ehammer@tampatrib.com.

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