Tatiana Ivaschenko was born in 1968 in Odessa, Ukraine. She studied Art at the Kubanskii University. In 1991, she came to the USA to the University of Northern Iowa, where she earned an MFA degree in Painting. Later, she met her future husband, James Jackson, an artist, collector, and specialist in European fine arts and culture, who encouraged Tatiana to paint and pursue her artistic career. 

Impressionism was always Tatiana’s affaire de coeur. During her academic training, back in Soviet times, young artists used the technique to escape government censorship and avoid depictions of communist propaganda themes by painting various “mundane” subjects in the style of impressionism. They followed the example of the 19th-century French artists and painted life as they saw it, albeit each from a distinct color palette viewpoint. They took painting out of the studio, preferring plein air and realistic subjects under natural light.  Coming to study in America, Tatiana wanted to explore the dominating modern spectrum of artistic movements. Yet the complete abstraction from reality in the contemporary art scene left her empty and made her search for a deeper meaning in art. The “mundane” kept calling for attention. Impressionism elevated the ordinary, and her budding faith brought the true meaning to the simplicity of life. She supplemented her scholarship by painting commissioned portraits and selling her paintings at the student art shows. Her first solo art exhibit at a local Henry Myrtle gallery in Cedar Falls, IA, was completely sold out and became a starting point of her successful artistic career.

In her art endeavors, Tatiana continues to explore the deeper meaning of “mundane,” the creative dynamics of workflow in secular and spiritual realities, and the healing aspects of all creative processes, regardless of the profession. She thinks that in order to live life fully, one has to discover one's talent and use it to care for and multiply the gifts of life.

Tatiana and her husband have four adult children and reside in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Her artistic career and family life are inseparable; both bring her joy, inspiration, and daily challenges. Just as a successful marriage consists of two imperfect individuals who never give up, the life of an artist consists of challenges that must be faced daily. These challenges make us better professionals and deeply compassionate human beings.