In this deeply personal episode of the AART Podcast, host Chris Stafford sits down with acclaimed soft pastel artist Tanya Avchinnikova for an intimate and soulful conversation about creativity, emotion, and the meaning of art. Born with a profound sensitivity to color and texture, Tanya brings a poetic voice to her pastel work—capturing light, memory, and the fleeting spirit of nature in luminous detail. Listeners are invited into Tanya’s inner world as she shares her artistic beginnings, her evolving creative process, and the emotional landscapes that inspire her soft pastel paintings. From the quiet poetry of everyday life to the meditative focus behind each stroke, Tanya reveals how her work has become a deeply personal journey and a way of seeing beyond the surface. This episode touches on vulnerability, intuition, the healing power of art, and the search for authenticity. Whether you are an artist, a collector, or simply someone who loves stories about the creative path, Tanya’s gentle wisdom and grounded passion will leave you inspired. Tune in for a conversation rich in reflection, sincerity, and artistry—an exploration of how soft pastels can speak the language of the heart.

✅ Keywords 
Tanya Avchinnikova, soft pastel artist, pastel art, artist interview, AART podcast, creative process, pastel painting techniques, fine art podcast, intimate artist stories, contemporary pastel art, emotional art, artist inspiration, behind the art, creative journey, art storytelling, pastel portraiture, pastel landscape art, art collectors, artist insights, art discovery, pastel drawing, modern pastel artist, YouTube art podcast

BIO
Belarusian soft pastel artist Tanya Avchinnikova. Tanya’s love of water and its translucency is the focal point and inspiration for her art. She says: ‘I specialize in seascapes and landscapes – places where you can feel a deep unity with nature, and trying to capture the illusion of presence.’  Tanya was born in Minsk, Belarus in 1988. Her mother Elena is a nurse and she has a brother, Anton.  Tanya studied music and began performing as a pianist from an early age so it was only natural that she would pursue a career in music. Tanya studied music at the Belorussian State Academy of Music and earned her Post Graduate degree in Performance at the Urals Mussorgsky State Conservatoire (Ekaterinburg) in Russia. She spent two years in China teaching piano at the Nanchang Normal University in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province.  In 2006, Tanya moved to the UK and earned her Masters Degree at the Royal Birmingham Conservatorie.  She currently works as a ballet pianist at the Performers College, which is part of BIMM University. She lives in Birmingham, England with her husband, the classical pianist Roman Kosyakov. Tanya is a Member of The Pastel Society and a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America.
 
Tanya’s website: https://tanyaavchinnikovaart.co.uk/
Instagram: tanyaavchinnikovaart 

Tanya’s favorite female artists:
Mary Cassatt
Michele Ashby
Amy Webber
Olivia Dunn
Reisha Perlmutter

Tanya’s playlist:
Radiohead (or solo Thom Yorke projects)
Kiasmos (or tracks by Olafur Arnalds)
Puscifer (or The Perfect Circle)
Tomas Dvorak (or his project Floex)
Boards of Canada
Aphex Twin
Ulrich Schnauss
Jon Hopkins 
 
Host: Chris Stafford
Produced by Hollowell Studios
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Email: [email protected]


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