No, I'm not Princess Anastasia. I'm not that old! Why don't you look up the Princess in the encyclopedia and figure out how old she would be today?

Princess Anastasia

But, I am a real "Anastasia".

I am named after my father's mother. I think it is a neat name. Strangely, I have never met another "Anastasia" in person!

Yes!

I have them all right here!

I am not Russian, but my father was. He was born near the Black Sea. I'm named after his mother, who was Polish.

Can you find the "Black Sea" on a map? What famous food comes from that sea?

From my mother, I got a rich mix of Italian, Spanish, and Argentinean Indian!

Did you know that my last name is easy to pronounce in Russian? Try it yourself: Czerniakiewicz = chair nee ah key eh vitch!

No, I didn't help with the movie.

But, the studio wanted to buy my internet address, "www.anastasia.com"!

I said "no", but I did enjoy the movie.

Yes and no …

As a youngster, I studied piano, instead of painting.

But, I always loved to paint! I had a book that explained how to paint, and I learned a bit from it. I started by copying the works of Matisse, one of my favorite artists.

Finally, in 1993, I decided to study harder …

… I was lucky and found a wonderful teacher and mentor, Roberta St. Louis. She encouraged me and showed me how.

For several years, each day after work, I practiced and practiced! Slowly, I developed my skills and confidence.

Five years ago, after winning some prizes, I decided to quit my engineering job and become a professional artist. Some of my early paintings are still on display back at Intel, where I was an engineering manager!

I'm glad I made the decision to pursue my dream.

I paint in oils..

I love the feel of oils on the canvas. Also, oil gives me ultimate control of colors and details. I use the highest quality formulations available. The quality of the canvas is also critical, so I use custom canvases.

For more details, take a look at my online demo.

I take an idea, sometimes a phrase or a part of an image, and start thinking about its special qualities. I spend a long time considering about what to include in a composition.

I also browse through our family photo albums, which have hundreds of pictures from our various trips. I like to work with my hands, so I sometimes put together little displays of things in my husband's photo studio and take pictures to see what a composition might look like. And of course, I sketch my ideas too.

Planning a painting takes a long time!

I am a romantic, so I just let my emotions be my guide.

I like names that are a bit mysterious or a bit of fun.

Yes!

Classical music helps me paint. I especially love Mozart and Beethoven. They celebrate the joy of life with their music in such wonderful ways!

I always listen to classical music on my favorite radio station while working in my studio. My husband, Roger, listens to the same station upstairs in his study, so our house is full of wonderful music everyday!

Not really!

I love to sing, and I used to sing in choir when I was in school. However, I do not think you will enjoy listening to me now.

Maybe, you think I am the European artist that has a name similar to mine? Her name is spelled with a "c" as "Anastacia". I understand many people love her songs.

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