Pepino is the Italian nickname for small. Everything I love to paint is small so my father-in-law's nickname was my first choice for a name. (Ironically, he ended up to be over six feet tall!) I tend to blend arts and crafts, combinding painting, needlework, sewing and beading. Ukrainian heritage sparked my interest in matryoshkas and eggs; they are a wonderful canvas for the imagination.

Inspiration can come from anywhere - from the shores of Georgian Bay where we live, to special celebrations and milestones, to anything that sparks my interest and creativity. I enjoy the chanllenge and attention to detail needed in very small projects.

I have done customized matryoshkas in the past. An example was a graduation gift where each doll of the matryoshkas reflected a country the girl had travelled to. In this case, I like to have a general idea or theme and create from there. Despite being small, these projects can take an incredible amount of time depending on the scope of the detail! As a result, output is limited! I never do the same thing twice and we are always surprised when a doll face can unconsciously appear to look like someone we know!

Every gift, though it be small, is in reality great if given with great affection.
"Pindar"