Alyona Kostina was first introduced to art by her father while growing up in Soviet Russia. She admired his passion for art and enjoyed spending time with him drawing. Born in a small town in Western Siberia, she had not considered art as a career. She taught high school English and German before going to work in the oil and gas industry as a Field Engineer and Petrophysicist. It was her career in this industry that brought her to Oklahoma City in 2011. While maintaining her career, she began selling her work, and as of March 2019, she became a full-time professional artist. Alyona believes her best artwork is achieved when she expresses that fleeting emotional moment by capturing a glimpse of life that was here one second and gone the next. Although she primarily works in oils, Alyona creates wool art and loves watercolor for its loose technique and natural flow. When not busy making art, Alyona teaches drawing and painting classes, enjoys taking piano lessons with her daughter, spending quality time with her husband, and raising their puppy.