Lina Gordievsky’s magical landscape paintings
Inspired by childhood memories of being in nature and the landscapes she sees around her today, Lina’s artworks feel like something out of a fairytale.
Hello, who are you?
Hi there! I’m Lina, a landscape artist living in a renovated New England mill with my husband.
Tell me about your creative journey, when did you start painting?
My creative journey stemmed from a very young age. I was born in Ukraine and grew up in a quaint countryside setting. My family uprooted and moved to the States when I was just five years old. A lot of my earliest memories and discoveries stem from the environment I grew up in; that’s where I first discovered the beauty of the natural world. We’ve been back a few times, and it has helped solidify those early childhood memories of playing with flowers, mud cakes, twigs and all sorts of nature’s gifts.
I first started drawing and painting when I was around six years old. We grew up without the constant buzz of television and electronics, and our parents encouraged us to busy ourselves outside. Everyone has that one drawer in their home – the one with miscellaneous items, among which you’d likely find paper and pencils. I remember drawing simply what came from my mind and hands naturally, and didn’t think much of it because it was just so enjoyable. The people around me expressed interest in my art and that’s when I first realised that I may be good at something. It was exciting that my loved ones thought I had artwork worth viewing and appreciating. I created art for my siblings, my classmates and my teachers. I sketched through my classes and couldn’t wait to come home and get back to my art box.
At one stage, your commissions led to you disassociating with your practice. Can you share how you found your passion for painting again?
As I grew up, I took on lots of commission projects. It made me happy creating something specific for someone, but I had little boundaries at that age and made my entire practice based on commission work. Over time, I found myself limited to my subject’s parameters, which had me bound to a specific outcome and hindering my creative flow. Soon after I began slowly dissociating with my practice – it didn’t bring me that joy I had once hoped it would.
One of the ways I rekindled inspiration was by travelling and exploring the outdoors with a camera in hand, documenting the journey. Nostalgia hit as I remembered my childhood days playing in nature. I wanted to feel the way I’d once felt as a child. When everything seemed more carefree, enjoyable, peaceful. I felt that quiet calling to create the things I really loved, time and time again. But the thought of it terrified me — painting what I wanted, not what other people may have wanted. I felt quite rusty and didn’t know what the outcome would be, where it would lead, and how I’d find my way again. Regardless, the discomfort of not doing what I was passionate about became greater than the discomfort of doing it. I had no other option but to take a leap of faith and follow my instincts.
