Natasha Piskunova

NATALIA PISKUNOVA was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. She began her training as an artist when she was eight years old. In 1979, she attended the St. Petersburg University of Art and Design and in 1984, earned her Masters Degree in Design.
After graduation, Natalia worked for eight years as a designer at St. Petersburg Institute of Design. Her projects were exhibited internationally. She has also been working as a graphic illustrator with her husband, Vitaliy Romanenko. Together, they have illustrated many colorful children's books.
In 1992, Natalia began a new career path: she became teacher of composition and painting at one of St. Petersburg's leading children's art schools. Here, she began developing a new, unique method of teaching art to children, which allows them to reach a high level of achievement in a short period of time.
After resettling with her family in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1995, Natalia focused on her painting and exhibited her works in many different exhibitions. Among these was the "From Russia With Art" exhibit in the Guilford Art Gallery (1996), and the "New American Artistry" exhibit in the JCC of Greater New Haven (1997).
Natalia creates her art using a technique of mixed watercolor and tempera paints on wet and dry paper. The subject of her paintings is nature, primarily landscapes with mountains, which remind Natalia of her other passion: mountain climbing. Natalia spent much of her life travelling in the mountains and painting what she saw.
In September 1997, Natalia opened the Palette Art Studio in Cheshire, CT, where she continues to teach art. Her students' works have been displayed in various annual exhibitions in the Cheshire and Woodbridge area, as well as exhibitions in the York Square Cinema gallery, the JCC of Greater New Haven, "Koffee" on Audobon Street, and Koenig Art Center.