Ulanaland

Happy 2012!

2012-01-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!! May this year bring you all the joy, health, prosperity, & laughter in the world. I know that this year, you will get all that you asked for and so much more...

Utopia/Dystopia: The Shadow and the Light

2011-07-06T09:07:00.000-07:00

Utopia/Dystopia: The Shadow and the Light

New Original works by Tara Murino-Brault and Ulana Zahajkewycz
PLEASE join us for and artists' reception, Saturday, July 9th 5-9 PM at the
NEW LUNAR BOY GALLERY located at 240 11th Street, Downtown Astoria!

Cherry Blossoms and Blue Birds

2011-06-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

I created these wooden cherry blossom & blue birds for my friends Jason and Kasia...who were married this past weekend. Many happy blessings to you both! Also pictured is my painting process. As you can see, Underdog needs to be VERY close to me at all times. She has to oversee what I do, as quality control is her main focus. I felt her hot eyes judging me the entire time!

Phillustration! 2011

2011-06-23T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hey! My image Zephyr, and a few others got into the annual Phillustration exhibition! AND Zephyr got 2nd place in the Editorial category! Weee! If you are in the Philadelphia area this month and especially this Sunday, June 26th from 2-4pm, you can attend the reception and awards ceremony. A special thanks goes out to Exhibition Chairs Richard Harrington and Christina Hess of the Philadelphia Sketch Club and Juror David Palumbo!

New Folk

2011-05-30T13:24:00.001-07:00

I'm in the midst of creating new work for a show at the Lunar Boy Gallery this July (the opening is July 9th, if you are in the area!). I'll be showing some new wooden folk alongside print work by Tara Murino-Brault. I'll post finished work as soon as I can...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-16T15:28:00.000-08:00

I made this for my sweet boyfriend. I taped it onto our studio door to remind him that he is loved...well really, that we are both loved. Oh, and I got the raw material for this (the cute birds and flowers) from this amazing store in Montclair, NJ called Parcel. It's the physical manifestation of my dreams! You have to spend a few hours there to see everything they have. Every nook of that place is filled with joy. Happy V-Day!

Community Education

2011-01-16T11:30:00.001-08:00

A new image for City Pages for an article about dazzling Community Ed classes in Minneapolis, including a class where you can learn to dress a deer. What a great assignment!!

Washington DC-Ukrainian Bazaar

2010-11-23T10:36:00.000-08:00

I was pretty busy making wooden folk for this event, so I'm sorry that I didn't get to alert people that may have been in the area this past weekend. Here are some highlights!

Dia De Los Muertos

2010-10-26T23:45:00.000-07:00

I created some wooden figures for the Dia De Los Muertos Group Show at Lunar Boy Gallery. The Day of the Dead is certainly one of my favorite themes. If you are in Astoria, Oregon in the next few weeks, check it out...Wed, Oct 6, 2010 - Fri, Nov 12, 2010.

Baltimore Ukrainian Festival-Sept 11th and 12th

2010-09-07T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, sorry it's been so long! I'm going to be in Baltimore, MD this Saturday (September 11th) for the annual Ukrainian Festival in beautiful Patterson Park. I'll be selling my paintings, prints, wooden folk, and comics in a big tent on the fairgrounds. My cousin Christine will be selling her jewelry nearby, and my other cousin Larysa will be busy helping with official festival business. A mini-family get together! Our tent will also house Ukrainian Pysanky (decorated eggs) and some cool notecards and calenders. Go Ukies! Come by if you're in the area!
http://www.ukrainianfestival.net/

MoCCA is for Comic Lovers!

2010-04-12T22:57:00.001-07:00

My half of the table at this year's MoCCA festival... Dead center is
Ken Struck's comic Flicker's Fleas... and Mike Sgier's stuff was on the other half...because he makes a good neighbor. You can always trust a guy in a pork pie hat!

I'll be at MoCCA this weekend!!

2010-04-07T19:29:00.000-07:00

I will have a table at the MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) Festival this Saturday and Sunday
April 10 & 11, 2010
11 AM - 6 PM

69th Regiment Armory
68 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY

Come by and say Hello!

The Digs, dig?

2010-04-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Some pics of the studio and other parts of my super fresh pad. Messy? Sure. Functional? Maybe. Home? Yes!

Little Bitties

2010-03-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

Winter Wonderland!

2010-02-10T14:55:00.001-08:00

Sure looks beautiful from my window...

Child Army

2009-12-06T08:33:00.000-08:00

This is a collaborative piece created with Margie McGee. My folk are flat, while hers are completely carved. We make a good team.
War. What is it good for?

Festivus for the Rest of Us

2009-12-04T12:37:00.000-08:00

I re-purposed this image for the holidays. Happy Weirdo!

Bearded Lady

2009-11-24T21:15:00.000-08:00

My fake beard came in the mail the other day. Modern science cannot measure my excitement!

Zephyr

2009-11-24T21:09:00.000-08:00

Etymology: Middle English Zephirus, west wind (personified), from Latin Zephyrus, god of the west wind & zephyrus west wind, zephyr, from Greek Zephyros & zephyros

Date: 1611

1 a : a breeze from the west b : a gentle breeze

Birth of a Salesman

2009-11-13T16:50:00.000-08:00

This cat is a salesman. He's top in his field. I'd like to think he's honest, but who really knows? He's just trying to support the wife and kids. And the road...it keeps a callin'.

Folk Couple

2009-11-06T14:29:00.001-08:00

Finally, something new! I'm working on a new project and these little drawings were part of the sketch process. I like the revisit Ukrainian folk tales now and again and these remind me of those stories. Here is a version in b/w and one in color.

Garden State

2009-06-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

I know people always laugh when they hear that New Jersey is known as the Garden State, but it's really true!

Welcome to New Jersey

2009-06-28T13:37:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure about this move to Jersey...it seems like every other place, really.

They have windows and doors, cat food, poop trays, and feathers?? Feathers!!

Dog Party!

2009-06-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

The latest illustration for City Pages. People+their pets+a local bar+drinking=fun? Yes!

Oh, Minnesota

2009-03-12T00:39:00.001-07:00

What's funny is that it's -3, but it FEELS like -2. Wha?

I Love You Hoo!

2009-02-16T22:32:00.000-08:00

New image for the City Pages, Valentine's Week, 2009.

Voting Freaks

2009-01-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

Forgot to post this when it came out. Created for City Pages.

Holiday Bar

2009-01-15T23:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday image for City Pages.

Northlandz!!!

2009-01-15T22:46:00.000-08:00

Indoor trains...woo woo!

..And look who's driving the train!

Underdog at Rest

2008-11-24T18:57:00.000-08:00

The Monster Show, Behind the Scenes...

2008-11-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

A peek at how I work. All of this under the careful supervision of Underdog, my manager. She has an opinion about everything. You'll notice that I added a mushroom later. My friend Kelly came by while I was working on this and said..."Yeah, it needs something...like a mushroom!" There ya go.

Empress & Koiman

2008-10-30T14:59:00.001-07:00

The Empress
loves her Koiman.

School Girl VS. Godzilla

2008-10-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

The Jump Rope of
Death will slap the tar
out of these evil doers.

Lady J VS. Treeman

2008-10-29T20:08:00.001-07:00

Lady J is about to
snuff out a bothersome
bully of a flame.

Red VS. The Wolf

2008-10-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

The better to
see you with...
hey what's that
in your basket?

Wolf Cadet & Ghost

2008-10-27T15:11:00.001-07:00

Wolf cadet loves his
levitating, ghostly wife.

Alien VS. Warrior

2008-10-27T00:28:00.000-07:00

Big heads,
big trouble.

Wolfman VS. Alien Moth Queen

2008-10-25T21:53:00.000-07:00

I fight you!
part one

Moth Cat & Flame

2008-10-25T00:10:00.001-07:00

More married monsters. So sweet.

A Punk and a Tattooed Lass

2008-10-22T20:57:00.001-07:00

From the series "I Married a Monster." I love his furry ears and her stone-cold stare.

Alien Boy & Goth Girl

2008-10-08T17:13:00.000-07:00

So, this is one of the pieces that I painted for an upcoming show in Nashville. There are 10 pieces in total, 5 are from a series called "I married a monster" and 5 are from a series called " I fight you!" As they get scanned, I'll post them. I'm having a lot of fun with these. I hope to sell them all at the show! If not...guess what's for sale?

Dum dum dee dum

2008-09-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

A tribute to Xan and Greg's wedding.

Hello Gorgeous!

2008-09-12T22:18:00.000-07:00

Our new sweet baby. A '64 Chevy step side. Ain't she a peach? Just wait 'til we get her all gussied up in sea foam green.

Minnesota State Fair

2008-08-31T12:58:00.001-07:00

Butter, honey and corn. What more do you need?

Box of Birds

2008-08-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

An oldie but goody.

Men with Hats

2008-08-03T19:26:00.000-07:00

This documents a happening that took place at a restaurant in Minneapolis. The men in the hats are the Clayton Bros and that's Tom G and I across from them.

A doorway to happiness

2008-07-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

I saw this door knob at a bed and breakfast. I should have thought that it was the doorway to a secret garden. It was in fact, the gateway to the loo. Ah well....paradise for those with an urgent purpose.

City Pages

2008-07-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

I did these pieces over the past year or so for City Pages, a free paper here in Minneapolis. The section is called the A-list and it's basically a list of cool things to do in the city that week. I had the pleasure to work with their awesome art director a few times now, and really, these are dream jobs.

Nice Kitty

2008-06-30T18:20:00.001-07:00

The cover I did for the Rake Magazine, here in Minneapolis.

Birds and Flowers

2008-06-30T18:16:00.001-07:00

Some birds and some patterns.

Get Your Drink On.

2008-06-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

These two pieces were created for a group show at the Lunar Boy Gallery, titled "Pink Elephants". Essentially, the theme was about drinking. I wanted to make something light and limited in palette. Bird Fountain is the blue piece, and Champagne Forest is the pink one.

Top Shelf!

2008-06-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

I did this poster for Top Shelf Comix. My friend Brett asked me to make something fun and full of strange characters. It's great when you get a project that fulfills your need to create a visual party with something functional, like announcing an anniversary. If you love comix, check out Top Shelf's website! http://www.topshelfcomix.com/

Arg

2008-06-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

This painting appeared in the show "Pirates!" at the Lunar Boy Gallery in Astoria, Oregon. This was definitely the most fun I've had researching imagery. There's a faint yellow tone to the piece, because that was my way of antiquing the color and bringing a more unified look to the image.

A Welcome, from Abe

2008-06-29T10:38:00.000-07:00

I did this painting for Margie. She likes Abe Lincoln. I mean, she REALLY likes Abe Lincoln. I think it borders on obsession, but she hasn't started wearing a beard and hat yet...so that's good.

I'll Fly Away

2008-06-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

A girl decides to fly far, far away. The bird seems to know where they are headed.

Land of the Cute

2008-06-28T20:56:00.000-07:00

I've always been interested in animals and their dwellings. It's nice to explore the possibilities.

Bad Ass

2008-06-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

This is a re-do and improvement of an image I did a while back.
Oddly enough, it was an anniversary gift for my friend John to his lovely wife.
Well, she is awesome. And a bad ass.

The other Underdog

2008-06-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

This is Underdog. She's a munchkin, but her attitude is that of a beastie three times her size. She is constantly outsmarting me. My suspicion is that she secretly runs a dog-fighting ring in my basement when I'm at work. Don't let those pale green eyes fool you. Her cuteness is dwarfed by her voracious appetite for destruction. It sent shivers up my spine when I overheard her quote Fight Club to a puppy, "You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all a part of the same compost pile." Brrrrrrr. Chilling.

Mmmmm

2008-06-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

This is the happiest soup

X Files

2008-06-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

These
are
some
of my
ex
boyfriends.
Don't judge.

Roadside Attractions

2008-06-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

I didn't have a map, so I made this one. Enjoy.

Underdog!

2008-06-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Muldowney is a performance artist and the living embodiment of the cartoon character Underdog. She appears in parades across the country and does interpretive dance as the famed hero, as well as Vlad the Impaler and Spectrum the Ghost. She even makes her own costumes! A while back some friends of mine, Boris Gavrilovic and Leon Martin made the film My Life as an Underdog about her. Well, the project was taking a long time, so I made this painting to encourage Leon to keep going. If you get the chance, see the film...it's wonderful.

In love with tattoos

2008-06-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

So I did this portrait for a client who wanted to give her friends an anniversary present. Tattoos and all. I happen to love tattoos, so this was pretty much a dream job. The image later appeared in Michael Fleishman's book, How to Grow as an Illustrator. This style is rather different for me, but it was wickedly fun to paint.

Minnesota Disasters!

2008-06-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

This work was from an exhibition called Small Wonders, Little Giants at the Minnesota History Center. I did the poster and these images (they were used for a game...go figure!).