Garmash

MICHAEL & INESSA GARMASH — Michaell and Inessa Garmash have created beautiful paintings, stained-glass windows, mosaics and drawings exhibited all over Europe.

An Art Love Story - Michael was born in 1969 in Lugansk, Ukraine. He began painting at the age of three and by six started his formal education at the Lugansk Youth Creative Center. In 1987, he graduated valedictorian from the Lugansk State Fine Art College and became an art teacher there. He later graduated from St. Petersburg Academy of Art at the head of his class. Michael Garmash exhibited his works throughout Russia and France, adding stained-glass to his list of talents.

During his stint in the army, Michael returned to his former school on a two-week vacation. The last day of his visit he met Inessa at a bus station; the next day Michael didn't return to his division. Inessa woke that day to her image painted all around the city surrounding her house—on the road, on the walls of buildings and the walls of her apartment staircase. Michael had spent the night painting; he was arrested first by the city police, then handed over to the army MP's, but he was not punished. (Even military personnel can sympathize with true love!) One year later, Michael and Inessa returned to the same bus station. Michael hung a bouquet of flowers on the station sign to commemorate the place where they met; the beginning of their "at-first-glance" love story.

In similar spontaneous fashion, the two began painting together. Several years after their marriage, Michael began a painting of their daughter for a project at school. However, their two-year old found the painting during his absence and painted her own version of the subject. Inessa, not wanting Michael to be upset, fixed the painting, packed it up and gave it to him to submit. Michael handed the painting over for review and was told it was his best work ever. He was surprised to see the "new" painting and immediately recognized his wife's hand.

Since then, Michael and Inessa have worked together creating paintings, stained-glass windows, mosaics and drawings. They have exhibited in Sweden, France, Russia, Ukraine, Belgium and Finland. They continue working with their daughter Polina as a model and occasionally include themselves in their compositions.

Inessa Kitaichik was born in 1972 in Lipetsk, Russia. Since early childhood she has excelled in ballet, gymnastics and music. Inessa attended classes in all three disciplines and, after graduating from music and ballet school, entered the Lugansk Fine Art School at age fifteen. At seventeen she was honored as that year's best undergraduate.

Michael & Inessa are a husband and wife pair. Both work on the same piece, which is extraordinarily unique in the art industry. Together they create a classic impressionism that remains both beautiful and timeless.