Young artist sure knows her palette

November 28, 2000

By MARIE PADILLA
The Orange County Register

____Ten-year-old Alina Eydel of Laguna Hills makes magic happen with her brush as she paints colorful cats, princesses and angels from her vivid imagination. But the artist's talent belies her age. Her award-winning artworks have been displayed in solo shows around Southern California, and some of her paintings have sold for as much as $3,700.
___Alina draws most of her inspiration for her many cat paintings from her favorite feline, Shura, a three-colored pet that runs around in the house. "My imagination makes life more interesting," said Alina, who has created more than 100 works of art since she started to paint professionally when she was 7. Alina starts out a project by sketching a rough draft of her vision on paper, which her father scans into the computer. Then he makes copies for Alina, who then tries different color variations before painting on real canvas.
____Though a natural talent, Alina, was brought up in an artistic family where both of her parents graduated from the State Academy of Art and Design in St. Petersburg, Russia. Alina came to the United States from Ukraine in 1992. Her mom, Svetlana, who works as an interior designer, said she had taught Alina the basics of painting and mixing colors, but then Alina's talent had spun off and shaped its own characteristic style. Alina's father, Igor, designs Web sites but also illustrates children's books.
____When Alina was 4, her mother realized she had a special talent. "We are so proud of her," she said. So when Alina turned 7, Svetlana started to buy real canvas and acrylics, and soon her young daughter created impressive artworks. After Igor launched Alina's paintings on the Web, the family received an overwhelming response. "Our first customer came to us after she discovered Alina's Web site and she bought 10 paintings right away," Svetlana said. "Then it just snow-balled from there."
____Sometimes it can be hard to part from the paintings, Alina said. "That's because I can never make the exact same painting again," she said. "But it also makes me proud," she admitted.
____Many of her paintings have been sold for charity and Svetlana said that "if Alina's paintings make people happy, it makes us twice as happy." Alina is also working on illustrating a children's book by Darlena Goetz of Long Beach. The book is a story about a girl who doesn't know how to express her feelings until she meets a special swallowtail butterfly and her imagination starts flowing.
____"It can be encouraging for other parents to see what a child Alina's age can do," said Svetlana, who is currently planning a fund-raiser for Alina's school, San Joaquin Elementary.