Italy Retreat 2025

Sandra Cohn

It has been said that poets and artists, in their highest calling, are the ones who express Being itself; who enlarge human consciousness by inviting the viewer to engage in an experience that inspires a deeper search for an understanding of the nature of existence. Even as a young child, my inner world was absorbed in an encounter with the immense mystery of the Universe. At six years old, I spent endless hours lying on the carpet in my playroom with eyes closed, imagining (unsuccessfully!) the borders of an infinite Universe. Trees, to me, were portals of Light. I pondered the meaning of who we really are and what we are doing here while the rest of the children happily made mud pies and ran through the streets. I spent most of my adult years reading, peering, studying, working in the field of neuropsychology, hospice and grief work, and advanced clinical hypnosis; absorbed in a meditative quest for higher truths. Key to my experience was a near death encounter at 26 years old while giving birth to my first son, which both surprised and delighted me with a direct experience of an all encompassing joy and beauty. My work as an artist and writer reflects this journey, both from compassion for each of us as we reach for heightened clarity and awareness during our often challenging journey of life, and in direct relationship to the translucence of the mystery itself.

I engage with my art and writing as metaphor for deeper wisdom, a portal to an encounter that hopefully uncovers insight and acts as a gateway linking us to the greater universe of conscious.

Sandra Cohn

As an artist, I have a wealth of experience that permeates my work. For most of my life, beginning as a young child , I have been fascinated by consciousness, where it arises and resides, and how it affects our understanding of reality and beyond. This interest shows up in my work as an artist, compelling my work forward into deeper discovery.

At the age of 26, I had a near death experience. During this profound experience, I pierced the veil of our everyday consciousness. Additionally, I worked In Neuropsychology at UCSF Medical Center in California, studying the effects of brain conditions that affect personality and the nature of consciousness. Throughout my life, my defining interest has been exploring spiritual consciousness as our true nature; the embracing of the Whole, of Light and Dark. Art as a window to expansion is deeply interwoven in my work.

Along with my love of clay, and my love of color and texture in paint, I am drawn deeply to story, to words. I write poetry, perform, and mix it into my work or remix others poetry to reflect my work.

I am drawn to exploring the mix of these three mediums as well as sound. The materials I use reflect the history of our lives, Rusted found metal pieces mixed in with sculpture each have their own story to tell and are used in a new form. House paint on roofing paper forms the texture of our daily life used in an artful form. It is in these multitude of mediums that the viewer drops the veil and begins to experience deeper truth and understanding.

Born in Boston, Ma USA to an Italian immigrant family in 1951. Studied watercolor painting at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and graduated from Tufts University with BFA under the tutelage of artist Kaji Aso and Nature and Temptation group. I also professionally trained at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts when bringing my creativity to a career as a private chef while cooking for the Los Angeles eschalon of celebrity clients world wide, still maintaining time spentt painting, I promised a full time return to painting later in life. Later is now, and I am breaking new ground again towards translating the poetry of my life with paper, water, and paint and a prayer for freedom and spiritual connection through the light of watercolor.

My work explores the relationship between Harmony and Nature best represented in my ceramic work.

Was born in the city of Sochi, Russia. She studied at Grekov Art School located in Rostov-on-Don, Russia and was named Student of the Year. From 1975-1995, she worked as an artist in one of the biggest art companies in the Soviet Union where she participated in many art exhibitions and had her work win constant recognition in multiple countries such as Russia, Armenia and Ukraine. In 1996, she immigrated to the U.S where she continued her art career, creating beautiful and unique paintings. For the last 3 years, she has dived into the art form of sculpting, creating many different ceramic sculptures that represents her vision of Harmony and Nature.

If you have any queries about my work

please call (323) 979-8968.

✨ My Mission ✨

Through my art, I seek to help others experience a spiritual awakening — to rediscover inner harmony, hear the heart at deeper levels, and remember the Song of the Soul. My intention is to assist individuals in reconnecting with the soul of our planet, Gaia, and with the consciousness of plants, animals, and the greater cosmos — the galaxies and stellar systems that mirror the vastness within us.

With my paintings, I strive to create spaces that invite reflection, transformation, and healing. Each artwork becomes an environment for exploring certain states of mind and energy — helping to release negative patterns, restore balance and confidence, and awaken intuition and higher awareness.

My aim is to awaken, inspire, harmonize, and fill hearts with beauty, wonder, and a sense of the sublime.

With my art, I seek to create environments and settings that invite contemplation and transformation. Each painting becomes a space for working with certain states of mind and energy — helping to release negative patterns, restore balance and confidence, and awaken intuition and higher awareness. My aim is to inspire, harmonize, and fill hearts with beauty, wonder, and a sense of the sublime.

Each of my artworks is born with a particular intention, setting, or mood — I embed frequencies of emotion and meaning within the paint itself. Thus, my paintings can serve as portals for meditation, reflection, and inner alignment. Through them, I also express my admiration for the beauty and diversity of life on Earth and the infinite expanse of the Universe — its stars, galaxies, nebulae, constellations, and unseen worlds beyond.

✨ Oil Paintings of Night and Light ✨

Space • Cosmos • Other Dimensions

Angels • Archangels • Ascended Masters

Spirits of Gaia • Animal Totems

Sacred Places of Power on Earth

Paintings for Meditation • Inspiration • Healing • Harmonization

✨ Energy Portraits • Color Therapy ✨

Izabel Raa is an award-winning Russian-born American artist, music composer, and author. Her paintings serve as gateways to meditation — vivid portals into states of balance, serenity, and awakening. Drawing on years of spiritual practice across diverse traditions, Izabel creates works that transport the viewer into a higher emotional and energetic resonance. Her intention is to restore love, wonder, and healing to one’s life through art infused with presence and soul.

A true citizen of the world, Izabel follows the call of movement and inspiration, creating wherever she feels resonance. Her creative path has led her through many Places of Power across the globe — from the Himalayas and Mount Uluru to Mount Fuji, the ancient temples of Nepal, Thailand, and Bali, as well as the mystical landscapes of Sedona, Mount Shasta, Monument Valley, and Hawaii. She has also journeyed to the Amazon jungles of Peru, the Egyptian pyramids, and the sacred dolmens of Russia. Each of these places nourishes her art, infusing it with the spirit of the Earth and the infinite Cosmos.

Her artistic journey began in 2013 in California, where she started painting in oil while simultaneously composing music — crafting electronic, cinematic, and meditative soundscapes that evoke both intimacy and vastness. From ambient and experimental sound worlds to piano and string compositions filled with emotion, Izabel’s music transcends genres, exploring the mysterious bridge between sound and color. Her works can be found on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

Izabel’s first exhibition took place in 2017 in Sedona, Arizona — the mystical heart of North America. Since then, her artworks have been exhibited in the United States, Italy, India, and Russia, featured in numerous shows, art events, and spiritual festivals dedicated to mindfulness, Buddhism, yoga, Hinduism, Orthodoxy, and Shamanism. Her paintings now reside in private collections and meditation centers worldwide.

She also creates energy portraits — personalized paintings attuned through meditation to the unique vibration of each individual. Working from a person’s photograph, Izabel channels their energy onto canvas, crafting custom artworks delivered globally.

Exhibitions and Events

2017

• Jerome (Sedona), Arizona, USA - Art Walk Event, Yester Day’s Gallery (Jan 2017).

• Jerome (Sedona), Arizona, USA - “The Love of Art,” Art Walk Event, Yester Day’s Gallery (Feb 2017).

• St. Petersburg, Russia - Participation in Budart Art Retreat for Artists (June 2017).

• San Francisco, California, USA - Solo Exhibition, San Francisco Zen Center (Aug 1 - Sept 9, 2017).

• Los Angeles, California, USA - Meditative Art Exhibition and Performance, Budart Meditative Art Festival (Sept 16 - 21, 2017).

2018

• Los Angeles, California, USA - Yogananda Fest “Change Yourself to Change the World” (Apr 28, 2018).

• Lake Forest, Los Angeles Area, USA - Exhibition-sale, Thanksgiving Event, Gallery “Olympic” (Nov 2018).

2019-2020

• Moscow, Russia - Mini Exhibition, Gallery & Tea Club “Arteafact” (Nov 2019 - Jan 2020).

2020-present

• Divnomorskoye, Gelendzhik, Russia - Permanent exhibition, Private Gallery of Eco-Villa “Sea Chalice” (Oct 2020 - present).

2021

• Los Angeles, California, USA - Lark Gallery Online Group Art Show and 2 Artists Zoom Meetings “SoulRise”; publication in Art & Beyond Magazine (Jan - Apr 2021).

• Moscow, Russia - “FreedOM’art,” Group Art Exhibition of Artists of the Spiritual Art Style (July 4, 2021).

2022

• Gelendzhik, Russia - Solo Exhibition “Soul’s Flights” (Jan 7, 2022).

• Gelendzhik, Russia - “Universe of Soul,” Solo Exhibition with music album presentation and guided meditations, SMART Anti-Gallery (Jan - Feb 2022).

• Los Angeles, California, USA - Lark Gallery Group Art Show “Art Transforming Spaces” (Feb 1 - 15, 2022).

• Florence, Italy - International Prize Leonardo da Vinci - The Universal Artist (Feb 6, 2022).

2023

• West Hollywood, California, USA - Lark Gallery Group Art Show “The Art of Wellness” (Mar 2023).

• Gelendzhik, Russia - Solo Exhibition “A Journey Through Inner Places of Power and Resourceful States of Consciousness” (Aug - Nov 2023).

2023-2024

• Divnomorskoye, Russia - Group Art Exhibition “Lumen” (Nov 2023 - Jan 2024).

• Gelendzhik, Russia - Solo art show during various music and art events (Nov 2023 - Mar 2024).

• Gelendzhik, Russia - Solo Show in Café “Na Chile” (Dec 2023 - Apr 2024).

2024

• Los Angeles, California, USA - Lark Gallery Group Art Show “Harmony Within” (Feb - May 2024).

• Gelendzhik, Russia - Solo Show in “Dom Dushi” (House of Soul) (Apr 2024).

• Divnomorskoye, Russia - Audio and visual art performance in Café “Lumen” (May 2024).

2024-2025

• Los Angeles, California, USA - Lark Gallery Group Art Show “Voices of Resilience” (Nov 2024 - May 2025).

2025

• Goa, India - Solo Exhibition “Whispers of the New Earth,” Saral - Café of New Earth (June 2025).

Publications

2017

• “Cathedral’s Magic” — featured in Jerome First Saturday Art Walk celebrates “The Love of Art”, Verde News / Kudos Magazine (Feb 2017).

• Articles and online features connected with the Jerome exhibitions:

– Jerome First Saturday Art Walk celebrates "The Love of Art"

– Jerome Art Walk, February 4, 2017

– Jerome Art Walk to have Valentine’s Day focus

• San Francisco Zen Center Blog — “August Art Show: Izabel Raa” (July 14, 2017).

• Artists on Art Magazine — “Beholders of the Night: A Summer Solstice Oil Painting” (2017).

2018

• Art & Beyond Magazine, July/August Issue — Feature article with paintings “Infinity” and “The Dance of Love”, presented by LarkGallery.

2021

• Art & Beyond Magazine, Summer SoulRise Special Issue — Feature article with paintings “Violet-Blue Heart of the Universe”, “The Way to the Abode of Masters”, "The Path Through Dimensions" and "Mysterious Night of Azur".

• Interview with Artist: Izabel Raa — LarkGallery blog (2021).

2022

• Art International Contemporary Magazine, Issue #1 (Jan–Feb 2022) — Feature the artwork “The Cat, Stardust and Cosmic Fireplace”, or “Where the Love Is”.

• Leonardo da Vinci – The Universal Artist, Florence, Italy — Award and catalog publication (Feb 2022).

2024

• Art & Beyond Magazine, Spring Issue — Feature article and paintings “Enchanted World” and “Alma de Primavera”.

• "Женщина Мира. Пробуждение истины" ("Woman of the World. Awakening of Truth") (Russia) — Printed almanac publication featuring artworks and an article about the artist (2024).

2025

• Art & Beyond Magazine, Winter 2025 — Feature article and paintings “Road to Monument Valley”.

Awards

• International Prize Leonardo da Vinci – The Universal Artist, Florence, Italy (2022).

Links

https://bio.site/izabelraa

https://izabelraa.com/

https://www.instagram.com/izabelraaart/

https://www.facebook.com/izabelraa/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/15QFm0wjlxvNIAO6UVWCkS

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/izabel-raa/1544850360

https://www.pandora.com/artist/all-albums/izabel-raa/AR5xV5gfJrmgwxX

https://music.amazon.com/artists/B08QMLLQGM/izabel-raa

https://www.youtube.com/@IzabelRaa

My art name is Lark - the bird that lingers between the earth and the sky. We artists do it at the moment of inspiration and meditation. That's how I create my art. I meditate and start with the spontaneous movements of my instruments; usually it is not a brush. A brush makes me think. My instruments are usually just pieces of cardboard. I also paint on any surface – canvas, board, plexiglass, glass, wood, etc – and I love to experiment and see what happens. My best creations take place in a state of no mind.

Although I begin the way abstract expressionists do and use some sumi-e techniques, eventually most of my creation starts shaping as abstract or impressionistic landscapes as ocean, sky, trees, flowers and mountain views start appearing from the formless. Nature is my source of inspiration, but instead of landscape details I channel nature's moods, the feeling of being one with nature, and swimming in its atmospheric light.

Light is what drives me to continue working. My mission is always to bring more light to people around me with my art, poetry and meditations. I know that viewers feel joy, peace and harmony when they look at my work, enter and settle inside it because it heals their emotional wounds and it makes me happy. Being an artist is an opportunity to express the fountain of my creative energy and at the same time serve people's needs in beauty that will heal the world.

When people perceive the light, the high and playful energy that my paintings emanate, they start feeling they are back in the fairy-tale world of their childhood, when their soul was open to transformations and miracles, and they feel like Alice in her enchanting wonderland.

From the beginning of her art career, Lark’s art caught the attention of art lovers and gained recognition from art jurors including LA Weekly critic Peter Frank, Santa Monica Museum Art Director Lisa Melandri and MOCA curator Alma Ruiz.

Fusing classical and contemporary art traditions, Lark's award-winning artworks carry her signature gestural brushstrokes and vibrant color palettes. They have been featured in the many prestigious exhibitions, art catalogs and sold globally in France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Russia, Armenia, Canada, Sweden and many other countries. In 2021 - 2025 Lark's art was exhibited in the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art and the Shiba City Museum of Art In Japan where Lark got two Gold Awards in the group shows.

To make art and see it being born from my own hands fulfills one of my

greatest dreams.

I like the moment when a new creation is not yet mine, not yet in my

imagination - but already is tickling my subconscious.

Working with paints, knowing their elasticity, and exploring new

textures and color shades allows me to move them on the canvas

spontaneously.

But it only seems so. In reality it happens under the guidance of my

soul.

It is my soul that expresses itself on canvas, showing its flights and

falls, joys and sadness, and then gives birth to an image. My hands only

choose and move colors around, before the appearance of a new image

gives rise to new fantasies.

When a fantasy desires to continue over a series of my art, the process

gives birth to imaginary realities which emerge from the depth of my soul

and cry out to find release on the canvas. Only then can my hands

themselves put down the paints and hang alongside my body. Fatigue and

relief cover me with a light veil. Nothing more needs to be corrected

and completed.

My soul enjoys the liberation of previously collected feelings and

impressions of life whose meaning was unclear to me but which I can now

express. Also what my paintings let me express on canvas is a joyful light shining

from the soul. It is the wonderful space of creation.

Tatiana Yartseva is a Siberian and moved to California in 2024. She is an artist and interior design and lives and works between the city of Omsk and Los Angeles, where she received her formal art education and immersed herself in the local art scene, working at the Lark Gallery. In addition to solo shows, the artist is an active participant in international projects such as "Peaceful Freedom" (2018), "Evolve. Women. Wisdom." (2019), and "Homage to Russian Avant-Garde" (2019) in the USA, "Seeking inner Joy(2002) in Russia", "The Temple of the Dreams"(2025) in Italy, "LAOpen" (2026) in the USA. Visionary Art Show Artsper Award. Since 2025 showing her art work at Artsy platform.

Participated in Digital Art Exhibition organized by Art Screen TV in the Biennale, Florence, Italy in 2025.

Her works have been featured in the American art publication Art & Beyond, Artistinish, and are held in private collections.

Artist Statement

My practice explores the body as a site of memory rather than representation.

Working with gesture, texture, and erasure, I focus on what remains after movement has passed — the trace rather than the form. The image is not constructed, but reduced, often dissolved to the point where presence becomes uncertain.

This process reflects a personal history in which expression was once internal, unspoken. What was held in silence now emerges through minimal action — a mark, a removal, a residue.

I am interested in the tension between appearance and disappearance, where the emotional weight of the work exists not in what is shown, but in what resists being fully seen.

I was born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan, where early exposure to culture and contradiction shaped my perception of beauty, restraint, and inner tension.

My artistic practice emerged later in life, after years in which creative expression remained internal rather than visible. What was once held in silence now unfolds through gesture, material, and absence.

I work with the body not as a figure, but as a trace — a memory of movement rather than its representation. My paintings explore the space between presence and disappearance, where emotion is not illustrated but felt.

Each work is part of an ongoing inquiry into identity, time, and transformation — where what remains is often more important than what is shown.