“I enjoy the beauty of life…
I enjoy the magic of nature…
I enjoy it in all forms and colors…”
~ ANATOLIY KHMARA
Prepare to be enraptured by the transcendent colors of ARTIST ANATOLIY KHMARA’S sublime paintings in ENJOY THE MOMENT, an exhibition at COLBY GALLERY Opening April 19th, 2025, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
Upon entering the gallery you will feel yourself immersed in beauty. The first wall presents a completely unique, luminescent and mesmerizing sunrise with a smaller canvas of sunlight reflecting off the water’s sensual movement. They echo Khmara’s painting trips to India physically and spiritually, inviting you to ENJOY THE MOMENT!
In the center of the gallery you will be surrounded by large paintings filled with a great variety of exquisite flowers bursting with life. Like an heavenly aria, Khmara’s hues and tones sing! Khmara courageously embraces neon colors that amplify and enhance the extraordinary expression of his expertise and palette.
Sprinkled in between the florals, sunrises and sunsets are some of Khmara’s famous landscapes. One can feel the warm breeze through the soft trees aglow with light emanating through their colorful branches. All this and more await you at ENJOY THE MOMENT!
This new body of work follows an abstract period in Khmara's painting when he explored vibrant and geometric patterns of color. He brings this energy into the ENJOY THE MOMENT collection.
The winter is over! In the spirit of nature’s rebirth and renewal come celebrate with us this gorgeous new series of masterful paintings by Anatoliy Khmara! Bask in the waves of visual pleasure these elevated works of art provide!
Bio
Anatoliy Khmara is a renowned painter and stained glass artist who was born in 1956 in Kiev, Ukraine. At the age of five, Khmara entered the Studio of Visual Art for Gifted Children in Kiev. Passionate, talented and prolific, Khmara continued his dedication to art throughout his youth and went on to earn his Master in Fine Arts at Fedorov Institute of Art and Graphic Design in Kiev, Ukraine in 1981.
In 1996, Khmara won the prestigious International United Nations Painting Competition and in 1997 gained entrance to the United States under the coveted Extraordinary Artist visa. After traveling to the East and West coasts, he found his way to the Heartland and chose Chicago as his new home. Khmara is the Founder and Director of The Medici Art Center, based in Chicago, which he was inspired to open in 2005 to provide transformational art education to a wider audience following his studies at Landmark Education’s Curriculum for Living.
Khmara has shown at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the building of the Cook County Treasurer of the City of Chicago, and at galleries throughout Chicago and the Midwest. Khmara is also known for his compassion and philanthropy and has donated his time to support the Chicago Children’s Hospital La Rabida. During their fundraisers Khmara paints live and spontaneously, donating his work to their auction and benefit. He has also donated his skills and talent by giving painting workshops to the children in the hospital to help them heal and lift their spirits through the joy of creating and the power of art.
Khmara’s award winning paintings are held in the collections of Ukrainian Embassies in Washington, D.C.; Austria; and Egypt; and are displayed in the World Bank and the National Art Museums of Kiev and Lugansk. His exquisite and vibrant masterpieces are treasured by private collectors worldwide.
The mission of COLBY GALLERY is to exhibit todays most passionate and inspirational contemporary artists who create new paradigms of the empowered human experience and potential. COLBY GALLERY offers a wide range of original artwork and prints for private collections and installation in select public spaces.
I enjoy the magic of nature…
I enjoy it in all forms and colors…”
~ ANATOLIY KHMARA
Prepare to be enraptured by the transcendent colors of ARTIST ANATOLIY KHMARA’S sublime paintings in ENJOY THE MOMENT, an exhibition at COLBY GALLERY Opening April 19th, 2025, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.
Upon entering the gallery you will feel yourself immersed in beauty. The first wall presents a completely unique, luminescent and mesmerizing sunrise with a smaller canvas of sunlight reflecting off the water’s sensual movement. They echo Khmara’s painting trips to India physically and spiritually, inviting you to ENJOY THE MOMENT!
In the center of the gallery you will be surrounded by large paintings filled with a great variety of exquisite flowers bursting with life. Like an heavenly aria, Khmara’s hues and tones sing! Khmara courageously embraces neon colors that amplify and enhance the extraordinary expression of his expertise and palette.
Sprinkled in between the florals, sunrises and sunsets are some of Khmara’s famous landscapes. One can feel the warm breeze through the soft trees aglow with light emanating through their colorful branches. All this and more await you at ENJOY THE MOMENT!
This new body of work follows an abstract period in Khmara's painting when he explored vibrant and geometric patterns of color. He brings this energy into the ENJOY THE MOMENT collection.
The winter is over! In the spirit of nature’s rebirth and renewal come celebrate with us this gorgeous new series of masterful paintings by Anatoliy Khmara! Bask in the waves of visual pleasure these elevated works of art provide!
Bio
Anatoliy Khmara is a renowned painter and stained glass artist who was born in 1956 in Kiev, Ukraine. At the age of five, Khmara entered the Studio of Visual Art for Gifted Children in Kiev. Passionate, talented and prolific, Khmara continued his dedication to art throughout his youth and went on to earn his Master in Fine Arts at Fedorov Institute of Art and Graphic Design in Kiev, Ukraine in 1981.
In 1996, Khmara won the prestigious International United Nations Painting Competition and in 1997 gained entrance to the United States under the coveted Extraordinary Artist visa. After traveling to the East and West coasts, he found his way to the Heartland and chose Chicago as his new home. Khmara is the Founder and Director of The Medici Art Center, based in Chicago, which he was inspired to open in 2005 to provide transformational art education to a wider audience following his studies at Landmark Education’s Curriculum for Living.
Khmara has shown at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, the building of the Cook County Treasurer of the City of Chicago, and at galleries throughout Chicago and the Midwest. Khmara is also known for his compassion and philanthropy and has donated his time to support the Chicago Children’s Hospital La Rabida. During their fundraisers Khmara paints live and spontaneously, donating his work to their auction and benefit. He has also donated his skills and talent by giving painting workshops to the children in the hospital to help them heal and lift their spirits through the joy of creating and the power of art.
Khmara’s award winning paintings are held in the collections of Ukrainian Embassies in Washington, D.C.; Austria; and Egypt; and are displayed in the World Bank and the National Art Museums of Kiev and Lugansk. His exquisite and vibrant masterpieces are treasured by private collectors worldwide.
The mission of COLBY GALLERY is to exhibit todays most passionate and inspirational contemporary artists who create new paradigms of the empowered human experience and potential. COLBY GALLERY offers a wide range of original artwork and prints for private collections and installation in select public spaces.

Born in New York City, Colby Luckenbill grew up on the East side of Manhattan in a neighborhood of Diplomats next to the United Nations which strongly influenced her perspective that we are all one multifaceted human family of infinite potential. Her mother, a painter, sculptor and humanitarian; her father, a renown architect; and her grandfather, a highly respected composer and musician, all taught her the language of art from a very young age.
Luckenbill attended a small private college preparatory school in Brooklyn Heights, The Packer Collegiate Institute. In addition she took classes at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Elizabeth Seeger School in SoHo, and was awarded entrance to college level summer art courses at SUNY Ferdonia and Chautauqua. Luckenbill was the recipient of numerous artistic awards, including the Scholastic Art Award for New York, which led to state and national recognition including publication in Who's Who and being honored personally by the Mayor.
Choosing to explore light and color, Luckenbill moved to the South of France to study painting at The Leo Marchutz Atelier near Aix En Provence. Following a year in Europe she moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend The School of The Art Institute of Chicago to major in fine art and filmmaking. While spending an exchange year in California at The San Francisco Art Institute she became interested in Latin American Art which led to intensive study trips through SAIC to Mexico and Central America where she also learned Spanish. She was especially moved by her visit to San Cristobal de las Casa in Chiapas, Mexico and nearby Indigenous villages.
Luckenbill was awarded residency at the renown Three Arts Club in Chicago after graduation and worked in numerous art galleries including the gallery of Latin American Art pioneer Aldo Castillo. She then moved to the historic Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago and opened her own art gallery, COLBY GALLERY, to be close to the vibrant Mexican and artistic communities. Luckenbill quickly became integrated into the cultural landscape of the neighborhood. COLBY GALLERY represents local, national and international artists who inspire the human spirit. The gallery has participated in the annual 18TH STREET PILSEN OPEN STUDIOS art studio and gallery walk each year. Luckenbill served as the Assistant Director for their 10th year anniversary when she brought in more artists than ever before including past participants and new local talent.
Currently Luckenbill curates exhibitions and works closely with artists assisting them in developing creative projects and promoting their careers. Luckenbill empowers artists in all disciplines to bring their lives and work into greater alignment with their soul's mission and a high vibrational lifestyle.
ARTIST STATEMENT - COLBY LUCKENBILL
The archaic definition of curate is "any ecclesiastic entrusted with the cure of souls." It is derived from the root of "cure" as in “curative: serving to cure or heal; a remedy.” A Curator seeks to do this not in a hospital nor a church, but in the celebrated walls of a cultural center, a gallery or a museum. When curating exhibits it is my deep and heart felt mission to connect with the souls and visions of today's most passionate and inspirational contemporary artists and unite them to form ever new paradigms of the empowered human experience and potential.
All images and text copyright Colby Gallery and the individual Artists
Luckenbill attended a small private college preparatory school in Brooklyn Heights, The Packer Collegiate Institute. In addition she took classes at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Elizabeth Seeger School in SoHo, and was awarded entrance to college level summer art courses at SUNY Ferdonia and Chautauqua. Luckenbill was the recipient of numerous artistic awards, including the Scholastic Art Award for New York, which led to state and national recognition including publication in Who's Who and being honored personally by the Mayor.
Choosing to explore light and color, Luckenbill moved to the South of France to study painting at The Leo Marchutz Atelier near Aix En Provence. Following a year in Europe she moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend The School of The Art Institute of Chicago to major in fine art and filmmaking. While spending an exchange year in California at The San Francisco Art Institute she became interested in Latin American Art which led to intensive study trips through SAIC to Mexico and Central America where she also learned Spanish. She was especially moved by her visit to San Cristobal de las Casa in Chiapas, Mexico and nearby Indigenous villages.
Luckenbill was awarded residency at the renown Three Arts Club in Chicago after graduation and worked in numerous art galleries including the gallery of Latin American Art pioneer Aldo Castillo. She then moved to the historic Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago and opened her own art gallery, COLBY GALLERY, to be close to the vibrant Mexican and artistic communities. Luckenbill quickly became integrated into the cultural landscape of the neighborhood. COLBY GALLERY represents local, national and international artists who inspire the human spirit. The gallery has participated in the annual 18TH STREET PILSEN OPEN STUDIOS art studio and gallery walk each year. Luckenbill served as the Assistant Director for their 10th year anniversary when she brought in more artists than ever before including past participants and new local talent.
Currently Luckenbill curates exhibitions and works closely with artists assisting them in developing creative projects and promoting their careers. Luckenbill empowers artists in all disciplines to bring their lives and work into greater alignment with their soul's mission and a high vibrational lifestyle.
ARTIST STATEMENT - COLBY LUCKENBILL
The archaic definition of curate is "any ecclesiastic entrusted with the cure of souls." It is derived from the root of "cure" as in “curative: serving to cure or heal; a remedy.” A Curator seeks to do this not in a hospital nor a church, but in the celebrated walls of a cultural center, a gallery or a museum. When curating exhibits it is my deep and heart felt mission to connect with the souls and visions of today's most passionate and inspirational contemporary artists and unite them to form ever new paradigms of the empowered human experience and potential.
All images and text copyright Colby Gallery and the individual Artists