I was recently approached by ASPIRE MAGAZINE to make a contribution to their England’s Art Trail feature, and of course, I said… “Yes.” Here’s what they wrote about my portrait painting:
Hannah Ostapjuk is an autobiographical figurative oil painter, who focuses on colour and chiaroscuro lighting effects combined with techniques employed by the old and modern masters. She completed a Contemporary Art Practice BA (Honours) at the University of Leeds in 2010 and went on to have an exhibition as part of The National Open Art Competition in Chichester. This April, she took part in York Open Studios.
Hannah said: “I have been painting ever since I could hold a brush and won my first prize aged just 15. I gained my first commission at the age of 17 and have since been commissioned to do work for Leeds Metropolitan University. I was originally en-route for a degree in Textiles, until the wise words of my Head Teacher, Dr Hudson, changed my mind.
“Portraiture is not just about investigating appearances or how to recreate what I see; it is about painting what I feel. I record my experiences and emotions in response to the relationship between artist and sitter. Striving for a kind of reality, that moment when it’s not just another painting, ‘the subject looks alive, like they could just get up and walk off’, and to preserve that moment in paint forever.”
Hannah has completed many commissions and continues to take them on. She also runs art workshops in schools and hospitals, as well as giving talks and presentations in the academic field.
View Yorkshire Artist and Portrait Painters Gallery.
