The element of oil
My element is oil. It is the source of my energy...
Learn MoreBased in Finland
Oil Painter
Paintings inspired by nature, wildlife and the beauty of the surrounding world.
About the Artist
The path shaped by observation, patience, and devotion to the natural world.
Chapter One
Kristina Smorodova was born on April 15, 1978 in Kirovsk, Murmansk region, in the far north of Russia — a landscape of snow, mountains and quiet resilience that would later shape her artistic eye.
In 1992 she moved to Petrozavodsk, Karelia, where in 1997 she graduated from Petrozavodsk State University with a degree in primary education, and in 2002 from the Karelian State Pedagogical Academy with a degree in biology teaching. For several years she worked as a methodologist, a sales manager and an advertising designer — professions that quietly trained her eye for discipline, observation and visual composition long before she ever touched a palette knife.
Chapter Two
Kristina discovered oil painting in the studio of Tengiz Gigolashvili — the turning point that would change the direction of her life.
A year after her first encounter with oils, she bought her own easel and began to practice also at home.
She chose the palette knife as her primary painting tool — a decision that gave her work its distinctive texture, immediacy and physical presence.
Her debut solo exhibition, The Element of Oil, was presented in Petrozavodsk, Russia — a foundational moment that established her as an exhibiting artist.
Developing a Personal Artistic Voice
In the years since, Kristina's personal artistic voice has grown into a meditative, light-filled practice shaped by the forests, wildlife and shifting seasons of the North — oils applied with a palette knife that leave their physical rhythm on every canvas.
Selected Exhibitions
— a continuing dialogue with audiences.
My element is oil. It is the source of my energy...
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An exhibition about the city, about its surroundings, about the streets...
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An exhibition about my gifts to the audience...
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The road is always fascinating. This is a movement. It is knowledge...
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The collection about dreams and wishes which came true...
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Paintings of Finland's rich and beautiful nature...
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We all are transforming and the only way to learn yourself is to exchange energy...
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Contemplation on colour, a collection of visual symbols...
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Original oil paintings available for acquisition. Each work is signed, documented, and delivered with a certificate of authenticity.
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| Dimensions | 100 × 120 cm |
| Medium | Oil on Canvas |
| Year | 2025 |
| Status | Available |
A meditation on the depth of a Nordic pine forest in late autumn. Built up in many translucent layers of oil, the work invites the viewer to step inside the silent architecture of trees.
In Private Collections
Paintings live where they are loved. A few collectors have shared their experience of living with Kristina's work.
Every morning the forest greets us from the wall. The painting has changed the entire atmosphere of our living room — calm, depth, a sense of being held by something larger.
Helsinki, Finland
We commissioned a large work for our entry hall. Kristina listened, observed our home, and produced something that feels as though it always belonged here.
Munich, Germany
Acquiring 'Silent Witness' was the beginning of a relationship, not a transaction. Kristina's attention to the work after it left her studio is rare and generous.
Stockholm, Sweden
The brushwork is extraordinary — you can feel the time inside each layer. This is not decoration; it is a serious work of art that happens to be beautiful.
Paris, France
Get in Touch
Inquiries about works, commissions, exhibitions, and studio visits are warmly welcomed.
Collector Inquiry
About the artwork: