Meet Vira Ustianska | Oil Painter

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vira Ustianska and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vira, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Starting an art business was a new step in my life – like jumping on a train in anticipation of looking inside. There is still a lot to learn, but I am glad I can monetize my art knowledge, which took 17 years to acquire. My goal as a graduate of the Academy was always to follow the traditions of Ukrainian impressionism, and business, in my case, is a kind of rationalization of the result of labor, the goal of which is the creation of high-quality real art.

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Do you have a budget? What do you think about your personal finances, and how do you make decisions about your lifestyle and expenses?
Art has always been one of my basic needs for me because it is a kind of food for the soul, so investing in art is a priority for me.
Accidentally or not, but having found myself in the USA about 2 years ago, I had to start all over again. At first, I had some funds after an auction in Warsaw and I bought an initial set of materials. Having created the first series of paintings, I started to do exhibitions where friends and kind people supported me and bought paintings. I think this became the budget for creating the first hundred works of art.

Risk: What do you think about risk, and what role did risk play in your life/career?
Painting is food for the soul, but alas, not every soul needs painting, so risk is inevitable. Paintings are not bought every day, and many people do not even imagine how much investment each of them requires, but I prefer to remain optimistic and realistically assess my capabilities as a startup, smoothly merging into a new art market for me, first of all, I try to understand who my audience is and how to stabilize the influx of traffic. Yes, of course, this requires more time, so big projects are the results of small steps. The biggest risk for me was to leave everything due to the war in my country and start over.

Where are you from, and how did your background and upbringing influence who you are today?
Since most people in Eastern Europe have higher education, art is a priority, as one of the basic needs, possessing historical significance; fine art is actively supported by patrons and the state. And they are right because it is art that we can leave behind.
Support for fine art from different segments of the population has become a kind of investment in today and I think this is what helped us preserve traditional painting despite the active development of new trends and amateur creativity. I am grateful to my country for the most valuable thing – education and I hope that I will be able to scale the business to such a level as to support young generations of artists in Ukraine.

What is the most important factor in your success/the success of your brand?
At this stage, I am developing my personal brand, so answering this question, I can say that persistence, sustainability, and flexibility are the strengths that define my success. Persistence is sometimes much more important than talent because anything can happen on the way to the goal, and the winner is often not the one who runs faster but the one who does not stop. Authenticity and flexibility, being antonyms, are still the leading factors of success in the art business, where authenticity is a kind of snobbery that determines the uniqueness of the brand, and flexibility is the ability to find ways to apply this uniqueness. A harmonious combination of the above qualities determines the success of the artist.

What value or principle is most important to you? Why?

My big idea for ​​the brand is to make art for the sake of art and inspire people. After all, aesthetic experiences increase the level of empathy and make the world a kinder place. To create real art, it is important to follow your heart and not blindly follow trends. Once, when I was a student, I said, “My paintings will achieve the highest recognition while maintaining their authenticity.” And now, step by step, I am moving towards this goal. For example, I want to share one story. Once, when I was painting rocks on La Jolla, my friend said, “Why are you painting them? People like other subjects.” – Half a year later, I sold that painting and received an order for a huge painting with those rocks. This order became an investment in buying a car, and the painting probably became one of the most significant paintings in my work.

Work-life balance: how has your balance changed over time? What do you think about balance?

I think it’s my weak point. But in recent years, I try to dedicate my weekends to what is most dear to me – my daughter’s childhood.

What is the ultimate goal? Where do you want to be professionally by the end of your career?

My ultimate goal was predetermined long before starting a business. Following my intuition, step by step, I see a new door. I go in and gain experience, and the next door opens. Finding myself 11 thousand km from home, I was able to find in such a short time what is truly important to me – real art. And I definitely know that I will do something important in this area. At this stage of my awareness, I see a lot of similarities between Ukrainian impressionism and American impressionism – and my goal is to move further in this direction, building a bridge between cultures.

Why did you choose an artistic or creative career?

I started to paint consciously at 7; it was always a part of me, but I could not even think that “being an artist” could become a profession. My first thoughts began appearing in art school, but I soon changed my mind to design and psychology. And one day, when I was 19, I realized that painting was my path. After that, I immersed myself in this field, dedicating 80% of my life to it. And just recently, talking to an art critic from France, I found the answers. Painting helps me express emotions, and thus releasing this energy with the help of shapes and colors, I comprehend harmony, and people feel a special energy in my works, empathize, and are filled.

Tell us about the book you read, why you liked it, and what its influence was on you.

My favorite book is Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I like the image of the main character, who, despite everything, was fanatically devoted to her idea and continued on the path of good. She had strong inner values, helping her to make the right decision.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Despite the fact that I’ve been exhibiting for over 17 years, creating around 1,000 pieces of art that have flown around the world, I still feel like I’m just at the beginning of my journey. Of course, I’d like to settle in the mountains and immerse myself in creativity, entrusting my business to agents, but I’m still looking for such a partnership. And now, being alone with myself, I understand how difficult it is to maneuver between making real painting and having a high income without selling my soul. I think my paintings are a search for some kind of balance; the paintings are like guides who extract emotion from the very depths of the soul and help the viewers to do the same. I believe that I have achieved great recognition among collectors and colleagues and I am grateful to the people who believe in me and invest. The most important lesson I have learned is to rely on yourself but do not be afraid to ask for help – the more ambitions, the heavier the burden and you cannot move it alone.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I want to share my places of power – which fill me with energy every time.

1 place is a zoo and safari park, here you can both relax in the shade of tropical forests, and actively walk and look at rare animals.

2 place sunset cliffs – a very powerful place, where the energy of the ocean mixed in a cocktail with the sunset creates a unique place for a picnic.

3 All tourists love La Jolla. I like the seals there, which sometimes freeze like stones, and a special sight is to see them on the children’s beach when they have offspring.

4 San Diego has a lot of interesting museums where you can learn about the rapid pace of development of this city, see the originals of masterpieces of world painting, understand the grandeur of nature and the history of the animal world since the time of dinosaurs, see the wonders of science and even visit a ship that is older than your great-grandfather, but I recently discovered for myself an amazing place for a hike – Ho Chi Minh trail. At the end of the hike, a charge of emotions and a surge of strength are guaranteed.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
When we look at the painting, we see only the tip of the iceberg. In fact, to create an art work, you need not only the talent of the author, but also the support of people throughout life. The development of an artist is like growing a flower from a seed, the seed itself is unique, but there is a chance that the flower will bloom equal to the fact that it may not happen, so supporting the artist during his lifetime forms the value of art for the next generation. I would like to thank everyone who supports me on this path and believes in success.
I would like to give special thanks to the Californian writer, voice-over talent and women with big heart Connie Terwilliger.

Website: https://viraustianska.com

Instagram: @viraustianska

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vira-ustianska

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ustianskavart

Image Credits
Victoria Ivanova-Lindsey