The "Artist Extraordinaire" Story

Vitaly Borisenko, artist extraordinaire

It was an ordinary day.  Preparing for the Fall Open House and artist reception for Vitaly Borisenko at Grebinger Gallery where I have worked part-time for 19 years.  Keith Grebinger, the owner of the gallery as well as a former student of mine at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania had invited Vitaly to display his work at the open house.  

One of Vitaly's Plein Air paintings of Lancaster County.

Keith recently met Vitaly while both were exhibiting their work at the Landis Woods Art Show in Neffsville, PA. where Vitaly's paintings won the Best of Show Award.  Vitaly's paintings are executed in a classic representational manner.  His oils are mostly still life that feature antique items, kitchenware and food.  He also features Plein Air landscapes and structures.  He is currently working with Belgian linen canvases which he stretches himself.  

A table full of Vitaly's 6"x8" oil paintings.

Many of his works at the Open House are painted on custom prepared linen panels which are 6"x8" in size.  All paintings are painted on professional materials to ensure the archival quality of his paintings.  Vitaly recently won 1st Place in the Lancaster County Art Associations Winter Membership Show.  Very prestigious awards for a young man.  

Mellons by Vitaly

Vitaly was born in 1989 in the former USSR which today is known as Kazakhstan.  During the next few years his family moved throughout Russia before landing in Vitebsk, Belarus.  There he graduated from high school and studied English and German at the Vitebsk State University.  For the next two years he worked as a school teacher, translator and interpreter with an international company in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.  

This large linen canvas is my favorite.
The detail is remarkable.

In 2014 he moved to Pennsylvania where he finally got a chance to try oil painting.  He is teaching himself through the use of online videos, books, as well as advice from experienced painters.  He now resides in the small town of Lititz, PA and explores the discipline known as Daily Painting (painting every day in one sitting) as well as Plein Air (painting outdoors).  I spent a few hours making a variety of 6"x8" frames to display his custom prepared linen panels.  It is amazing that his work is from someone who has only been painting for 4 years.  A truly talented artist!  My only disappointment is that due to an illness in his family, I was not able to meet him.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.