Svetlana Akimova overcame her fear of painting on canvas in her 60s. Now the Brookline resident has a collection of mixed-media abstract works on display at the Public Library of Brookline.
The exhibition, titled "Joy of Existence," features pieces that combine acrylic paint, acrylic pour, collage and acrylic markers, according to the library's exhibit listing. Every work in the show is on canvas, the surface Akimova once avoided.
The designs are abstract. Akimova layers her materials to build texture and color, working across techniques that range from controlled marker lines to the unpredictable flow of acrylic pours.
Her path to the canvas came through her day job. Akimova works as a massage therapist at Skin to Soul, a studio in Woburn owned by Nicole Russo de Souza. It was Russo de Souza who encouraged Akimova to try painting on canvas, according to the library. That push helped Akimova move past a fear that had kept her away from the medium.
Akimova was born and raised in Riga, Latvia, where she attended the Pedagogical School. Her daughter and grandson still live there. After moving to the United States, she studied at the Elizabeth Grady School of Esthetics and Massage Therapy in Medford.
The library's description of the exhibit credits the daily support of friends, family and coworkers with keeping Akimova inspired to create. That circle stretches across two continents, connecting her life in Brookline to the family she left in Latvia.
The library posted the exhibit listing on Oct. 27. Residents can view the show during regular library hours.
