My Story

Hello and welcome! 

I didn’t plan to become an artist. I crossed an ocean, started life from scratch, learned new streets in a new language, and kept looking for something that felt like home. I found it in color.

My name is Zhanna. I’m an abstract artist based in Canada. I paint the feeling inside a moment: the hush before birds lift, the breath between waves, the gentleness that rooms need.

I began painting to make sense of change—immigration, building a new life, our family’s quiet victories and difficult days. One of my early works, “From Pain to Beauty,” was created during a hard time for our family; I painted every fear and every gratitude into the canvas until the chaos softened. That’s when I knew: color can hold a life story.

In the studio, I translate sensations into color. I call it Synesthesia Keys—short “decodes” of a piece using three simple words (for example: sea-glass calm · slate water · dusk glow). Many pieces include a Palette Passport: five named shades that collectors receive with their piece. It’s my way of giving you the language of the painting, so you can live with it more deeply.

I work in layers—slow brushwork, patience, and a final, quiet stroke when the painting “clicks.” I listen to music while I paint (many pieces have a playlist), step outside to watch the horizon, and come back to edit the light. My subjects are emotions translated through nature: birds in flight, coasts at dusk, wildflowers that remember the wind. I love minimal, breathable compositions—the kind that bring air into a room.

I paint for homes that want calm. For people who collect stories, not just objects. For anyone building a new chapter and wanting their walls to hold it kindly.

With warmth and gratitude,

Zhanna Samsonova 💚