Commissioned especially for The Art of Cheremosh Gala, this painting represeants the third in a series of watercolours by acclaimed artist Larisa Sembaliuk Cheladyn. Inspired by a kaleidoscope of colours and fabrics found in the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company's wardrobe,"An Ensemble of Colour" Truly captures the eye of the beholder. As Larisa's largest singular piece of artwork to date, this painting showcases the vibrant, intricate and memorable array of costuming used by the dance company during the past 40 years.

The method for re-creating this limited edition piece of watercolour paper, together with Larisa's signature hand finishing of paper borders, makes these reproductions of "An Ensemble of Colour" especially unique compared to more typical lithographs available. For those wishing to own a precious memento, or simply add a wonderful conversation piece to their collection, these special reproductions offer every individual the opportunity to own a significant piece of art by Larisa.

Ordering Information

Contact: Kevin Zarsky 780.436.7316 or 780.428.2888

Email: kzarsky@shaw.ca

A Message From the Artist

Creating “An Ensemble of Colour” has been one of the most rewarding projects that I have worked on to date. It is the largest single image that I have ever produced, featuring a glimpse of Cheremosh’s magnificent wardrobe that has been worn over the past 40 years.

The process began with a period of extensive research during which time I identified all of the dances Cheremosh had performed since 1969. This was followed by a “treasure hunt” where I worked together with costume mistress Debbie Pennoyer and Cheremosh alumni to literally search, find and photograph samples of the costumes that were worn for each dance.

Working from “inspiration boards” that I created for each costume I then sketched out and composed a clothing timeline. Had I included every kind of boot, “poyas”, hat, vinok, blouse, etc. the painting would have stretched to over 24 feet wide! Selective editing resulted in a 4 foot high by 16 foot wide, detailed collection of costumes that begins with a women’s Poltava costume worn in the very first concert, followed by a wide representation of the most memorable costumes worn over the years, complete with the most recent pieces unveiled for the 40th anniversary Gala “An Ensemble of Colour” not only captures the regional and thematic variations of the costumes, it traces the history and the evolution of Ukrainian dance costuming. From individualized, hand embroidered authentic clothing to factory produced theatrical costuming we can see how the dance apparel evolved over time.

The task of actually painting the 8 panels that make up the full image was a labour of love. Over the course of 5 months I dedicated 8 hours a day to painting all the details. I was compelled to portray the wardrobe as accurately as possible, matching colours and including almost every stitch of embroidery. The intense period of concentrated brush strokes was well rewarded when upon unveiling, a dancer complimented the piece by stating “you could even smell the boots’ – I knew then that the painting had come to life.

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