Woman-blues

Woman-blues

Russian painter Gulnara Elrod tells about herself

Hostage of the Desert If I would have never known what an infectious laughter, thoughtful ideas, clever jokes, very heartfelt singing, and stunning dancing in front of a mirror used to come out of a creature called me, I would think that I am a blues-person, quiet, extremely modest, although not without the abilities. Many people think exactly that way about me.

I was born in Kazakhstan just before peoples’ first flights into an outer space, so I was not named Valentina (Valentina Tereshkova was a a first woman astronaut). My mother absolutely illegally stole us, three of her kids, fled our father and settled in Ukraine, which I now consider to be my Motherland.

I loved to draw since early childhood, not only out of curiosity (can I do this?) but also out of competition and to avoid the boredom. I graduated from Boarding School, and then from the College of Arts and Culture in the city of Lugansk.

After unsuccessful marriage, I raised my daughter Katya. Wind of adventure, love and pride brought me to America.

However, adventures did not happen, and those seven years feel like one day, but analysis of the photographs do give a hint, that time was actually moving. Here, John's and mine little Julia is born; here I am painting Mickey Mouse in Disney World; here I am in college studying Graphic Design; and here I am already driving a car.

From that time on my life is pierced not only with a shine of pragmatic American stars, but also with heavy-duty thread of spleen. On this rough canvas there appeared uninvited holes of homesickness, which tend to give at the seams after each diligent and optimistic darning called communication with compatriots.

Gulnara works here