Originally from Kiev, Ukraine, Lana Rak now calls the San Francisco area home. She began drawing at age 4 and was admited to the Republican School of Fine Art in Kiev when she was 12. In 1986, Lana moved to Canada and continued her art studies at Langara College in Vancouver and later at the Academy.

I have always wanted to paint about love, but love is not tangible, so how realistically can you express it? I didn't want to illustrate literary courtship and love; instead I wanted to concentrate on the emotional aspect of this overwhelming feeling, expressing it allegorically through the language of colors and brush strokes.

First I envisioned the color theme for this series. I imagined richly warm colors: glowing reds and golden browns accentuated by greens and blues. The short ala prima sessions with the impasto (thick) paint application would be the best choice to express passion and movement. Body language is the most expressive way for conveying human emotions, so in many of my pieces I deliberately sacrifice the depiction of the facial features, as it usually distracts the viewer's attention and breaks the rhythm of the whole painting.

I usually work in the short sessions carefully planning my compositions and designs in advance, so I would not have to paint over some areas and could have a fresh surface of brushstrokes. Once I commit to a certain design I attack the blank canvas trying to get as much as possible in the first session. I believe that the first stage is the most decisive. Whenever I am unsure of my choices of poses and design, I test my ideas in a small painting, some of which become successful pieces. However, many unsuccessful canvases are scrapped and washed with terpanoid at the end of the day. Working on some of the paintings I feel like I am running a marathon, whereas with others I don't notice time. I try to take advantage of each minute that I am in my studio. The constant feeling of urgency to complete as much as possible in the given time prompts my work.

I find the process of painting very exhausting physically, but despite all the challenges it is the most rewarding and joyous occupation. I would not want it any other way. If I were to win the lottery tomorrow, I would still be in my studio painting. I hope you will enjoy my work just as much as I loved creating it.