“Working with Alina is a gracious experience. She works seriously and at the same time finds joy in her achievements. Her works are a joy to behold and windows into a wider world. ”

“For many years I have been interested in icons and have wanted to take a painting class. I was delighted when an artist friend put me in contact with Alina and quickly signed up for a semi-private class; I had no prior painting experience – of any kind. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn from Alina. She is a master iconographer, incredibly knowledgeable about her trade, and has an easy manner of imparting learning to her students. The experience was more than a painting class. The lessons were about creating a sacred image, in a sacred space – if open to it, it is a spiritual experience. It was lovely, and at the end of the process, I got to take home a beautiful painting.”

“It is a pleasure working with Alina. I have taken two of her classes and I am currently receiving private lessons from her. Alina is a wonderful painter and an excellent teacher; she is knowledgeable and patient and a lot of fun to work with.   Alina has covered a lot of different topics and techniques with me and has done an excellent job of both instructing me how to use these techniques and how to develop further. She is able to assess skills well and knows how to lead students through a progressive level of difficulty, allowing them to develop their skills with appropriate challenges.   I really enjoy working with Alina and I am glad I have had the chance to studying with her. I would recommend her classes and her lessons without reservation.”

“I approached Alina several months ago with a vague request that I wanted to commission her to ‘draw’ me two icons of Arch Angels, with lots of colour and lots of gold involved. She responded with two beautiful preparatory drawings of the Arch Angels Michael and Gabrielle which I loved. Alina then spent several months working on the icons keeping me regularly updated on her progress. She managed to complete them a little earlier than anticipated, just in time for them to be given as a birthday gift. I requested that Alina send me photos of her work and the progress she was making with the icons, but I am so glad that she didn’t (she is to send these to me later). I am glad that she didn’t send photos because it was such a joy to open the carefully packaged the icons and see them in their full glory for the first time. They have wonderfully deep iridescent colours and so much radiant gold! They took my breath away when I saw them. My limited vocabulary cannot begin to adequately describe their beauty.”

“I recently attended a 5-day icon painting workshop with Alina. As a beginner, I had no idea what to expect. I soon realized that this was not a typical workshop but one in which there was little interruption and required full attention to each moment. The act of painting, slowly over 5 days, the many layers from dark to light provided the environment to partake fully, mind, body, and spirit. One aspect which I found helpful, in part because of the slower pace which icon painting necessitates, was the opportunity to watch the arising of judgment and inclination toward comparison. The quiet and gentle environment was supportive as I repeatedly practiced the letting go of judgment and opening fully to the present moment. Attention was key and I found the painting process was immediately affected if I became lost in internal (or external) distraction. Alina provides a beautiful and sacred space for both this inner work and the outer work of painting. She is a gifted artist, extremely patient with her students, and knowledgeable about the art form.”