Sit Down With Our #090 Featured Artist

Taisija Kalinina

Featured Artist / #125 ScrawlrBox 

She was born in a small town in Lithuania, into a family of artists. She graduated from the Vilnius Academy of Arts with a master’s degree.From a very young age, she would draw on walls and anything she could get her hands on — eventually, her father had to dedicate a wall in their home where she could freely express her creative impulses.For her, drawing is a daily practice, a way of life, and a natural environment where she feels truly at home.

Your art feels so vibrant and expressive, could you tell us how your creative journey began and what keeps you passionate about making art?

Creativity is my way of life — a constant journey through the world of art. Five years ago, I worked almost exclusively in black and white, deliberately avoiding colour and not allowing myself specific palettes. Today, I love experimenting with colour, boldly combining vibrant hues and playing with subtle nuances. For me, creativity is a path — movement, change, and growth. It reflects our emotions and inner state. That’s why the bright colours in my work today feel like a natural expression of my inner energy.

What role does colour play in your work, do you start with an emotional idea, a story, or a palette first?

Strangely enough, it’s not always easy to give a precise answer. Sometimes the choice is conscious — a theme or palette tied to a holiday like Halloween, New Year’s, or Valentine’s Day, when red tones feel inevitable. Other times, it’s a spontaneous impulse, where intuition takes over and the colour chooses itself, without over thinking.

How do you approach designing a character or scene before you start colouring?

I almost always choose colours intuitively. Very often, my choices depend entirely on my mood — sometimes sparked by a colour my eye randomly lands on, other times influenced by the weather. On rainy days, I’m drawn to darker tones, while under the blazing summer sun I suddenly reach for the warmest colours and create something bold and alive — like a lemon-yellow snake embodying the energy of light.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced artistically, and how did you overcome it?

I studied at an art academy for six years, earning my higher education degree. The language of instruction wasn’t my native one, and the chosen field was completely new to me, so that entire period became a real challenge — a constant push beyond boundaries and comfort zones. I had to defend my desires, my vision, and my right to creative impulses. It wasn’t easy, but it was incredibly educational. As they say, everything happens for the best.