Toronto Archives - Helen Polishuk Blog

Brain Rot

December 5, 2024December 5, 2024 Helen Polishuk Leave a comment

We have to publish and write a lot about the current situation in the virtual environment. And in response to the publication of Oxford University that the past year is the year of brain rot , I will say that it is terrible.

I remember my youth and the time of raising children, when, in order to calm the child, I gave him a computer instead of a toy. What came of it? Two children became adepts and their lives are connected with computers. And you tell me, what about trade, the service sector. Horrible. Who in 30 years will serve us, cook food and clean the premises, guard and bring letters? Of course, I am positive, but if you look seriously, then the capture of artificial intelligence of all industries has already confronted me with a problem this year. With scammers and people who hide behind new technologies. When they took double the price from my credit card when paying for an airplane ticket and when I began to find out the state of affairs, they turned on artificial intelligence, essentially a bot. When I was indignant, they once condescendingly answered me that they did not even have an official page on the Internet, and then they put it on a bot again. In this way, you can’t get through, not return. In fact, it’s good that they didn’t cheat with the credit card. And this is the carrier. That is, the system is controlled selectively and is replaced by bots in case of fraud. Great. We’ve lived to see it. With children – their depression and lack of desire to learn and achieve something.

Have you noticed that the protest system today is urinating on fences in the centers of large cities, garbage and a bunch of cans and dirt in parks, on the roads, in cultural places.
How to resist – I support those who say that it is necessary to turn off excessive use of the Internet. Create according to interests. And control the flow of information.
Well, as an example from me – I created a book. I neglected the Internet community and discovered for myself in this leap year books, the book community, the rustle of pages and live debates in library clubs. And this is wonderful. Two years ago I discovered a Japanese cultural center, which I simply adore for everything it does and represents. Well, and I, as someone who does not understand, wanted to learn the language. But where is there, because this is a completely new world in which I am absolutely blind without an assistant.

The events that take place in this center in Toronto are my assistant and guide. Whenever I have time, I visit it with pleasure.

I enjoy communicating with readers, hearing their wishes and preparing the next publications. I am already preparing a new edition for next year. It will be a bilingual edition, which will create a wider audience and help readers get to know my publications better.
Today I will tell you a little about my book, which was published this year.
It is dedicated to children who dream of the sea and travel. It also tells about the Ukrainian navy. The book contains short interesting stories about the largest sailing warships, their achievements, major battles, glory and defeats. There is a section dedicated to the fleet of the first Ukrainian republic.
It separately tells about the first years of the formation of Ukraine’s independence in 1992. Interesting, exciting, educational, informative.

Many public meetings with readers have already been held and I am pleased that the reading audience is very wide – from small children to older people who, rereading the book, supplement it with their own stories and memories.

Literally tomorrow there will be another meeting with children and their parents. On St. Nicholas Day I will represent the side of wizards, storytellers, give gifts, miracles and a pleasant mood. Well, I invite you, my readers, to this fascinating world and we will meet tomorrow at 4 pm 3015 Winston Churchill Blv.,Mississauga,On

@KNYGA.ca

Let’s move on

March 4, 2024March 19, 2024 Helen Polishuk

new works by the artist Helen Polishuk in her favorite style

I really want these warm sunny days already.
No matter how warm this winter was, it was not sunny and the lack of energy and warmth affects the mood of people in Toronto. However, I always repeat that everything passes. And after the cloudy days, warm days will come. And the seeds planted will break through the cold ground into the ground. And the gardens will bloom and the ringing singing of birds will flow, which notify about their offspring.
And we can live. After all, a new day is wonderful. A new video with the latest Petrykivka for you, my dears.

If you don’t already know my most active page, here it is. It contains all the latest news from the world of my creativity and painting.
Let’s move on

CHANGE

October 4, 2023October 7, 2023 Helen Polishuk

Modern drawing made in the style of Petrykivka painting by Natalia Stasiv-Garko

It may seem that time is unchanged. More than six months have passed since the last publication. During this time, many events have passed that can be packaged in one word – change.
The Chinese, when they want to wish something bad, say that you should live during changes. They make sense because this is the most uncertain time, which slows down any planning, postpones things indefinitely, interferes with meetings and postpones events. But what to do, when this happened to you.
Therefore, I will briefly summarize my post.

I’m sure many people have found themselves in this state.
Today I am only talking about the present tense.
The large collection of wood paintings I created in the traditional Ukrainian style was shown in August and had both positive and negative responses. I may return to the positive ones, but I’ll dwell on the negative ones in more detail.
This is my first time painting on wood. I have not done this before. If we approach the creation of the project technically, then its goal was to create mutually complementary objects that together would create the same composition.

Composition of the drawing, completed in Petrykivka style and presented for teaching drawing techniques in a book about Petrykivka painting

The critics felt that I did not perform the traditional Ukrainian Petrikovsky painting correctly, or to put it differently, in an original way. Well, although these critics do not know how to draw and have a superficial understanding, they decided to consider me a failure.
I am not defending myself and I am not going to argue. But thanks to the first women (Petrikovsky painting is known for the fact that the first women who mastered it were women who painted the walls of their houses) who painted cockerels, birds and flowers in an absolutely free style and decorated their houses with them, we now have a whole galaxy of artists of this style. If you look at the works of each of them, they are very different and they have in common the creation of a composition around several symbols.

One of the founders of Petrykivka painting in Ukraine Maria Prymachenko

Years have passed and this style, thanks to modern graphic programs, has reached absolute perfection. Moreover, many schools and courses have appeared that are ready to teach you this skill for your money.
And yet, based on primary sources, I would advise you to remain tied to the three fundamentals of this painting – creativity, composition around symbols and image technique.

One of the famous paintings created by Maria Primachenko

That’s why I wished and wish today to everyone who is fighting for something, look at the primary sources and add your creativity – you will succeed.

Another painting by Maria Prymachenko, the founder of Petrykivka painting

The most interesting thing in learning any folk painting is mastering the principles.
Although I will now be criticized again, the founders of this type of painting did not interconnect the composition; many objects of the composition were, as it were, separated. If you look at photographs of one of the first creators of this type of painting, you can see how stamping, the creation of separate drawings, which are located one next to the other.

Modern apartment decor in Petrykivka style

Two centuries ago, the goal for artists was to create a drawing that would create coziness in the room, protect it and harmonize with everyday life. Therefore, cheerful roosters and hens, wonderful bright princes with colorful plumage and long multi-colored tails, flowers of unusual shapes and color harmony appeared on the walls.

It was rural folklore, the art of the country people who decorated their homes.
And today, Ukrainian artists have supplemented and improved it and created masterpiece collections of paintings, introducing this type of art into the traditional Ukrainian folk art.
I’ll return to my collection. Drawing on wood requires its own skill. Technically, this is a more long-term work, and I was also required to create compositions on two chests, several kitchen boards, kitchen wooden shelves, souvenir wooden houses, Christmas tree decorations and sections of wood. I also tried painting on bags.

Photo from exhibition where was present my new collection.

I liked the combination of animals with modern elements. I took the cat as a symbol on the bag. That’s why I received criticism.

Another part of the collection among the exhibits on display

I’ll wait until the passion to ruin someone subsides and all this settles down and still, I’ll remain silent.
Someone else criticized that I was too confident in myself.
Friends, no. I hid, broke all my brushes, threw away the paints and am sitting waiting for something else to come to me.
I would like your problems.
Today I have donated several works to auctions and I believe that they will be useful.
Tomorrow is not predictable for me, I will say one thing – only those who do not do and do not create are not mistaken.
And I am again full of news and ideas, which I will tell you about in the next post.
All the best

What are you doing and why are you silent?

January 27, 2023February 18, 2023 Helen Polishuk

Thank you for being so worried and bombarding me with questions. I really relaxed a little and have not been active lately on networks and on the blog. There are reasons for this.

Suddenly, two waves of colds put me in bed.

Between these troubles, I managed to give a concert of my choir in a beautiful church on Anglessy Blvd in Toronto.

I will publish photos from this evening on this page and please you with the fact that the concert was a huge success.

I’ll tell you a little about our choir. We consist of two parts – female and male. Ages from 18 to 80+.

As before, the choir is now recruiting members and any person who has a musical education or is full of energy to study choral singing and participate in the choir can become one.
The choir has rehearsals once a week, where we, together with the conductor, learn the parts and rehearse. The choir has an old tradition, founded by the previous generation of Ukrainians in Canada, to spread the culture of Ukraine, its singing traditions around the world and bring Ukrainian music to all peoples.

We sing both church works and songs written by our members.
Today I am very happy with our composition. 90% of the team have a musical education and our conductor Dr.Svitlana Lysogor is one of the best conductors in Canada.

We are glad that she is a student of the well-known Oleksandr Koshyts and went on tour with him.
We updated and started our concerts.
What was in our repertoire?

We performed Ukrainian carols, so the concert fell on Christmas time. Also in the repertoire are works by Koshits, Katsalo, a Christmas prayer, a song by our participant Bogdanka Paguta, a song by Nanke and the famous Shchedryk Leontovich.

We have wonderful soloists – this is the sonorous voice of Anna Tanchuk. This gentle girl grew up before my eyes. She went with her mother to our rehearsals when I first joined the choir. And now she is at the head of the choir and we are proud that we have grown such generation.
There is also a beautiful tenor Sergei Stilmachenko.

I am very confident that we will continue to grow and expand.

In the meantime, before the end of January, I invite you to my Instagram page, where I will be active for the next month.
Have you forgotten what it looks like?

I give you a link to it.
Go and participate in my Insta posts.
The fact is that in recent years I have been reviewing Oscar-nominated films and publishing reviews about them with the probability of their awards. For several years now, my assumptions have coincided with the Oscars, which is very nice. You can read in my Instagram account for previous years. this year I continue this tradition again and if you are a film addict like me, then I invite you to discuss whether the film will receive an Oscar or not.

It’s exciting, it’s exciting and it gives an overview of the directions and trends in the world of film production, which is very important to me as a filmmaker.

In the meantime, I wish you all peace and good. See you later

I hasten to meet you again, my readers.

December 6, 2022December 29, 2022 Helen Polishuk

The year flew by quickly and intensely, and now it’s December. Last month of the year. As always, let’s sum up the history of plans for the next year.

Summing up the results of the year, I confess that the year had everything – losses, failures, new trials, rest and travel, and of course awards.

Of the losses associated with this terrible year, these are the losses of people close to me. I was left without my mother, and although she died after a long illness, but I miss her so much. I left my parents very early and began to live on my own. Therefore, my parents were a place for me to hurry back to, like in childhood. However, everything changes. The loss of loved ones is always painful.

The war that is now on the territory of my country also affects. At the beginning, I couldn’t get used to it, I suffered from insomnia, called my friends a lot, tried to help, volunteer. Later I tried to create conditions when my real help would be useful. But you can’t get used to the war and I, like many people, dream that the war ends.

I spent three months of spring in the international project “Children War Ukraine”. This is an online project that connected children and is aimed at developing their abilities and desire for creativity. I created videos for poems written by children. The project helped popularize the creativity of Ukrainian children.

In the spring, a significant event was the organization of the performance “Mazeppa” at the Zahrava Theater in Toronto. I am glad that the theatre, despite many difficulties, has released a performance and I am doubly glad that several strong participants have been added to its group. I wish them further growth and success in their difficult work.

Throughout the year I drew a lot and this could not but affect my work.
As quarantine restrictions eased and galleries began to open, I became a participant of many with great enthusiasm.
Pictures created by me over the past year can be viewed on social networks.
There is a page on facebook created by me

https://www.facebook.com/helenpolishukart

Please, subscribe to it so that you are always aware of my new work.

From the latest news related to galleries, I am participating in the exhibition, which will be held from December 6 to December 24 2022 at Cloverdale Mall Etobicoke Ontario.This is an exhibition of works that have passed the competitive selection of the jury of Art Etobicoke. It is a pleasure for me to present two works there, which are very dear to me. I publish them here with a little descriptions about:

I exhibited as the best work of this year my painting POPPIES, created in the spring of 2022 and dedicated to all the soldiers who died in the war. This is the grief of mothers, this is the pain of wives and children, this is the groan of the land on which the war is going on. The picture was created in memory of the dead soldiers, whose names will remain in our memory.

Poppies (2022)

Materials: acrylic on canvas

The second painting presented at the exhibition is a painting MY DREAM created in 2017 and this is my calling card.This painting from her creation and during gallery life, the painting has an interesting history.
For the first time it was exhibited at an online gallery in the UK. Six months later, I stopped working with the gallery and the painting moved online to France, to an online gallery(she is lucky, she moved without problems and payment in the Internet space).

Materials:oil on canvas

The painting was created very quickly ,like it was drawn by itself. I don’t remember exactly, but the idea came instantly: a couple of strokes, oil sketches, then quickly quickly and by nightfall it was almost created. After drying I just tweaked the shadows a little. It felt like she wanted to be created by me. This happens with artists. Going back to 2017, like this 2022, it was very creative year and a lot of paintings were created.

Having got to the selection of the jury, the picture had to be framed and organized for the exhibition. And here is the story again. I looked for many frames, but none of them matched the color or size. Already tired of searching and giving up ready-made frames, I decided to order at the store, but it was closed there. I returned to the search for ready-made ones and an hour before submitting paintings to the exhibition. I found a frame that not only displayed the depth of the picture in golden color, but also decorated it and added value to it. The picture came to life. This is a real miracle.

And last painting with award:

Materials: acrylic on canvas

Describing the last awards of the year, I want to note another victory in the selection of banners by the jury for the city of Pickering. This painting is especially dear to me, as it is a symbol of the unity of Ukrainian and Canadian art.
In this picture, which I specially created for this competition, the element of water is in its design.

The city of Pickering is located on the coast of Ontario and has a nuclear power plant. It depends on the element of water. Water is a symbol of the life of this city. Therefore, it is depicted in the center of the painting.

Envelops its flowers, painted in the Petrykivka style.

In the style that I paint, continuing the old Ukrainian traditions. And it is so well combined. It was noticed by the jury and selected for a banner.

Now my work in the coming year will hang on the main street of the city and decorate and delight.

That’s all news for today.
Don’t leave, there’s more to come soon

Helen

Dec 5 2022

How Ukrainians celebrate Christmas in Toronto

February 18, 2022February 18, 2022 Helen Polishuk

Post quarantine

July 16, 2020July 16, 2020 Helen Polishuk

What I feel when I open my site after six months of quarantine to write a post?

Zeroed

This is the name of my new work, which I share with you
After spring 2020 with quarantine?with disrtoy in futures plane,we will not be able to live as before.
As the main thing, we are motivated by caring for the family, the observance of today and the recognition that everything must be treated with distrust

What’s new in my angels paintings?

The background of the paintings has become darker.
I express not transparency, hopelessness, anxiety
This is the background of ourselves, me too.

My signature still at the corner in lower right as before

I continue the 2020 cycle about angels
If the previous pictures are interesting, you can find them on the fb page : https://www.facebook.com/helenpolishukart

If you are interested in cooperation with me and online exhibitions of my works, write

helen.polishuk@gmail.com

Unfortunately,email on my site does not work and I am working on its restoration

Due to financial costs that are difficult to maintain and pay, I am thinking of closing the site.
If you want to help in its content, I will gladly accept it.
Email me about it.

As I already reported, this painting refers to post-quarantine paintings dedicated to angels and is called, “Zeroed”

,,Zeroed,,(2020)

materials: oil on canvas

Size: 5’x7′

100% original with my signature

I am pleased to receive feedback from you,my readers.

I am pleased to receive your feedback from you in,,COMMENTS,,
I always read all the reviews
Now there is a lot of work to be done, about 5 thousand of them have accumulated together with bots…and its waiting for read

I promise to read and answer to all readers of my blog
Really looking forward to hearing from you comments and stories, how are you doing

Helen

July 16,2020 Toronto

Best from 2019

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019 Helen Polishuk

Not the end of the year yet, but I can summarize the year 2019.

In my opinion, my best work painted by me over the past time is this painting.

Very gentle work. I drew it quickly and did not correct at all.
In general, I really like the whole selection of paintings of that style and time.
There is movement in it, there is tenderness, airiness. There is a search for femininity

It is on sale on my website www.helenpolishuk.com and if you like it, you can buy it using Paypal.

The best thing that I have in my house is the camera.

It takes me a lot of pictures that I publish.
I am active on my instagram page @polishukelena
On the page you can see both my best photographs and find out a lot of news about me, where I went, what I love/like
A lot of very beautiful photos and of course there I publish my stories

Connect with my Instagram page @polishukelena

My best photo that I posted on the page on Instagram is this work

I rate her as a very beautiful photo.
It was made in Toronto in a park near me. It was made after the rain. The flow of water in the river increased and it turned out like a waterfall.
Very beautiful photo.

My best photo posted in my posts here on the blog is this photo.

It speaks of my character – stubborn, invincible, desperate, adventurous and very funny

My best and most favorite phrase that I never tire of repeating to you, which has no expiration date and with which I go through life, is this phrase
…………………I love you……………………..

Don’t get tired of repeating it and repeating it.
Without it there is no meaning to life
Your little, funny, desperate, very kind and always smiling …..Helen Polishuk

P.S.This is my best photo from this year ))

St.George’s-on-the-Hill

May 26, 2019May 26, 2019 Helen Polishuk

I often pass by this church. St.George’s-on-the-Hill.This is my neighborhood, this is the history of my city.
Only today for the first time I was able to look into and get to know her history closer.

This church stands high on the mountain (hence the name) and is distinguished by a high spire and very unusual architecture.

In 1844 land was given by William Gamble,owner of the grist mill on the banks of the Humber River.

Toronto have a lot interesting architectural buildings, including the unique buildings of churches.

St.Geogre’s-on-the-Hill church built by William Tyrell in 1844 with large windows and spire with tin sides.

In 1847 the RT.Rev’d John Strachan,Bishop of Toronto,dedicated the building on October 17.

In 1865 Bishop Strachan dedicated the baptismal font,which is St.George’s oldest memorial.

Over the back wall of the entrance door a tapestry with the image of St. George .

The church is named him.

It depicts St. George, who kills the dragon.Very unusual image that I see for the first time.

Next to it is a small painting that shows how the church was originally

The church was very small and later was expanded, rebuilt and added side walls.

It is a small but very unique church by stained glass windows.

At the entrance on the left and on the right, beautiful stained glass windows tell about the life of Jesus.

There are also scenes from the life of Christ.

These are very beautiful stained glass windows. They are made with a special pigment. Were recently restored.

In the central part of church,in main part, instead of the altar, also,stained glass.

In 1976 The Four Seasons window in the chancel was given in memory of Elizabeth Holdsworth.The brass chancel railings were given in memory of Phyllis Goudge.

In 1996 The Christmas window in the west entrance was given in thanksgiving by Lorne and Ellen Matheson.

In 1998 The Nazareth window in west entrance was given in memory of Walter and jessie Goode

A Casavant Freres organ was installed in 1973 and in 2015 was refurbished,the metal screens were removed and new oboe stop installed,enhancing the sound of the organ.

In 1847 two acres of land were purchased for a cemetery.This was dedicated by Bishop Stratchan.

If you look at the inscription on this monument, then there is a raised finger.

The St.George cemetery is old.

From pioneer days to present,the cemetery has seen approximately 4000 burials.During the last 25 years,cremations have become increasingly common

This year St.George’s-on-the-Hill church in Etobicoke is first open for viewing in the Door Open may 25&26 2019

When the year ends, much ends with it

December 30, 2018December 30, 2018 Helen Polishuk

As one blogger said-fuck write about the results of the your year in your blog for readers . They don’t read anybody from reading.
Many people, they absolutely do not know what they write about themselves and what happened to the ordinary writer.It’s not interesting to them.
So,my dear readers, I just expose the pictures and comment them.
I do not agree on one thing with that blogger.
There are moments of reloading in life.
Someone does this regularly, regardless of the time. Someone does to tie it with holidays or dates.
I do it regularly with out dates.
Therefore, it is not painful and not important for me.

The 2019 year of the pig is about to come.

It is still locked up, still closed, but ready to enter in our society.

Dear Santa Claus!

when the year ends, much ends with it (6)

I ask you to send me energy to overcome all difficulties, I ask you to take care of my relatives and help my friends.
I ask you mood, joy and good luck for all my friends, for you, my dear readers.
Miracles happen if you believe in them.
Wishes come true if you make them

My beloved city Toronto plunged into an series of holidays.

City is empty during this time, as many have gone on a journey.
City is prettier now, as many have decorated their homes festively.

when the year ends, much ends with it (4)

I made a film about beautiful home decorations in Toronto. As in New York, it is a tradition to decorate houses with luminous garlands, to put snowman or Mickey Mouse behind home, to decorate trees growing near the house.

when the year ends, much ends with it (8)

The weather was pleasantly congratulated us on holidays, giving a white, clean, light snow.It is snowing…….

when the year ends, much ends with it (7)

I continue to work out in the gym, which gives me good results for losing weight, improving muscle tone, energy and improving well-being.
I wish you:Let changes in your life take place only in a good way, and may your health be strong

when the year ends, much ends with it (3)

I fly in the New 2019 year in my own strength and cheerfulness.
There are many dreams ahead that I am going to accomplish.
Forgive me that a lot of people what I left in the past and closed these pages.
Without such pain, it is not possible to rise.
I’m still with you and in you

I love you,my dear readers.
I plan many many new meetings with you both on the pages of my blog and on the TV screen, in life, in art galleries.
Let luck accompany you

when the year ends, much ends with it (2)

Best wishes to you

@polishukelena

#www.helenpolishuk.com

#lenchik63