The Rita

Rita was born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine. She worked for Black Sea Shipping Co. for 22 years after completing her studies at the Odessa Marine Engineering College, where she obtained a degree in shipping economics and learned about ships and cargo. Rita has been living in New York City for the past 29 years. Upon arriving here, she worked in hospital patient accounts (billing) at Golden Year Hospital until her retirement. Throughout her life, Rita always had a passion for art.  “I have loved art all of my life. I used to go to any museum and I have a lot of books about art.”  She used to visit museums frequently and has a vast collection of art books. After retiring, she decided to try her hand at painting and started taking classes at the JASA center in her neighborhood. Her teacher, Tatiana, inspired her to paint many pieces, including landscapes. Although she loves to paint anything, she has a special affinity for the sea, ships, and beaches, as she grew up near the Black Sea. Ri